Caroline and the Green Card
Genre: General/RomanceRating: G
Chapters: 5
Summary: Caroline is just getting acquainted with her new assistant Jeannie when Richard shows up at her door, desperately in search of a job.
Chapter 1
New York was cold and gloomy. Despite the optimistic forecasts, the rain slapped down on the ground and the normally so busy streets were deserted.
The depressing weather seemed to go by unnoticed in an apartment in Tribeca. The lights shone brightly and the song 'Where Did Our Love Go?' echoed through the apartment.
The two women inside were bent over their panels as they worked diligently to finish the comic strip. Jeannie was slightly nodding her head as Caroline was rhythmically tapping her foot, her lips pressed together to prevent herself from singing along.
Jeannie had just started her second week as Caroline's colorist and even though the two women had only met a number of days ago, they instantly hit it off and Caroline already started to think of them as friends.
Jeannie hated silence when working, so she'd brought in a tape for them to listen to.
The loud sound of the buzzer broke the peaceful scene.
Somewhat startled, Caroline looked up.
"Who could that be?" she thought out loud.
Jeannie shrugged in response and Caroline walked over to the door.
"Yes?" she said, pressing the red button on her intercom.
Caroline glanced over her shoulder at Jeannie who once again shrugged as a sign that she didn't know either.
"The job?" Caroline repeated puzzledly.
"Um…yeah. Caroline Duffy, that's you, isn't it?"
"Yeah, but um…"There was a rustle of paper before he spoke again.
" 'Colorist wanted' " he quoted monotonically, " 'To assist nationally syndicated c-' "
"Right, right. That ad. Listen, I'm sorry, but you're a little late. That ad was in the paper two weeks ago. The position has already been filled."
It was supposed to sound friendly but the slight tone of annoyance was obvious in her voice. She once more glanced over her shoulder at Jeannie, rolling her eyes. Jeannie mirrored this and they exchanged a smile over this guy's naïveté. What made him think this job would still be vacant?
"I know what you're thinking" his voice interrupted them and Caroline swiveled back to the intercom, staring at it wide-eyed.
"What?"
"I said, I know what you're thinking. You probably think I'm an idiot for responding this late."
Though this stranger was nothing more to her than a tinny voice from a box on her wall, Caroline felt her cheeks flushing as she realized he was on to her.
"N-no, that's not it at all" she lied poorly, "But you might want to consider buying an up-to-date newspaper when looking for a job. Well, good luck, hope you'll find something."
She was just about to get this annoying man out of her life with one push of a button when his voice once again filled the apartment.
"Look," he retorted, obviously pissed off now, "I'm two steps away from moving into a cardboard box, so I apologize if buying a newspaper every day isn't at the top of my priority list! I just need a job, desperately. So when I got my hands on this newspaper I just thought I'd give it a shot.…"
Caroline stared at the intercom, guilt washing over her. For some reason she felt for this stranger and she wished there were something she could do.
"I'm sorry to hear that" she replied formally, "I wish there was someth-"
She broke off mid-sentence when she heard a second, very familiar voice through the intercom.
"Hey man, are you going in?" the second voice asked.
"As a matter of fact, I am" "Well follow me then, no point getting soaked out here." "Del, no! Don't let him…-" Caroline warned, but it was too late, a moment later she could hear the central front door fall in its lock, followed by a deadly silence.Caroline turned helplessly to Jeannie.
"Great…what now?"Jeannie got up from her seat.
"Hey, don't worry. We'll just give him an address for a shelter or something. And if he's trouble we can always call the police."
The door burst open and Del walked in. He and Caroline had only known each other for a handful of months but he already felt right at home at Caroline's and had developed the habit of dropping by unannounced. His father's company carried Caroline's cards so he often came by to discuss business or have her sign contracts. But usually he was there to eat her food, drink her coffee or lie on her couch, watching TV. Caroline didn't mind, they'd become good friends and she liked having his around though at times like these she wasn't so sure of that anymore.
"Hey," he greeted cheerfully.
"I came to see if maybe you wanted to go get some lunch when I found this guy downstairs."
He gestured behind him but found that Richard wasn't there.
"He must still be in the elevator" Del concluded. "Anyway, he said he had to be here so I let him in."
"I know" Caroline sighed, rubbing her forehead in frustration.
Del once more looked behind him, then stepped out into the hall.
"Hey, man you can come in now."
Sensing a final chance to stop this stranger from invading her apartment, Caroline whirled around to stop him.
"No, Del, don't….-" she abruptly broke off her sentence as she looked up into the most beautiful brown eyes she'd ever seen.
There on her threshold was a tall man with blond, slightly damp hair and a sad expression on his face. His whole attitude seemed defensive but at the same time it gave off something mystique that immediately intrigued her.
His dark overcoat was wet from the rain and the holes in it revealed that his clothes were drenched. His hands were partially covered by dark, fingerless gloves. He clutched his portfolio to his chest as though it were his only possession in the world. Under his right arm was the newspaper in which he'd found the ad.
He stared back at her, his expression unreadable.
Something leapt in Caroline's chest and she swallowed, then scraped her throat to get rid of the lump that had suddenly formed there.
Del and Jeannie exchanged looks as they both noticed Caroline's sudden change of mood.
"Um… Mr…. Karinsky, was it? Well, I'm afraid I can't tell you anything other than I've already told you through the intercom. This is my new assistant Jeannie"
She gestured to Jeannie who proudly took a step forward at the mention of her name.
"I hired her last week. Mind you, I could help you find an address for a shelter or maybe a social worker…."
"Look, I know all too well where the shelter is! Those things are not going to help me one bit. I just need a job!"
His anger changed to desperation. "Please help me, I'll do anything, as long as you give me a job..."Unable to come up with an assertive response, she turned to her friends.
"Del, Jeannie, would you mind waiting in the hallway? I'd like to speak to Mr. Karinsky alone for a moment."
Grateful for a way out, Jeannie leapt to her feet and went over to Del.
They shot the pair a final questioning look, then quickly left the apartment.
Caroline gave Richard a fake smile, hoping that she'd made the right decision and that this guy wasn't a serial killer.
She took a step back, holding up her hands defensively.
"How did you even find my address?"
"Okay," she started warily, "Here's what we're going to do: you're going to tell me what kind of trouble you're in. If I can, I will help you and then you're leaving straight away or I'm calling the cops, okay?"
"I'm not going to hurt you, if that's what you think" he assured her calmly.
"All the same, you're out the minute I say so, understood?"
He nodded.
She gestured to the sofa and he carefully sat down at the edge, setting his portfolio down against the cedar chest.
She sat down in the chair and folded her hands in her lap, looking at him expectantly.
"Here we go" he started with a nervous sigh, looking down at his feet.
"The thing is…" he looked up into her eyes "I'm an illegal immigrant."
"Or at least, I will be if I don't find a job soon" he continued.
"I came here on a temporary work permit which is about to expire. So if I can't find anything, I'll get deported. And I just can't go back, you have to believe me."
He directed his gaze to his feet.Caroline felt a pang of compassion for him. She would love to help him but she had no idea how.
"That's terrible" she choked out. "W-will you be in danger if you go back?"
"It's not the bad weather that made me leave" he replied sarcastically.
"Look, the chances of me receiving political refugee status were very slim so instead of taking the risk of getting deported, I applied for a work visa. Which, as I said, is about to expire and I just don't know what to do now."
"Right" she said softly. "Thing is, I would love to help you but I simply don't have a job to offer you. You know, maybe Del could enquire at Cassidy Greetings…"
Considering the offer, he slowly nodded.
"That would be great. As long as you're sure he's reliable. The more people that know about this, the more chance there is I'll get caught."
Her mind flashed back to the week before when she'd spent two hours waiting for Del at the movie theater and he just forgot. Or the time he forgot to renew her contract at Cassidy Greetings….
"Actually…" she then said, forcing out the words. She hated to disappoint him again but it was probably better than trusting his safety to Del.
"Maybe it's not such a good idea after all. I can't guarantee that it'll stay quiet."
"I see…" he said, the hope draining from his face. "Well, it's best I know this now, right? Look Miss Duffy, can I count on your discretion? I can't risk the INS getting wind of this. I know I don't know you but somehow…." he grasped her hands, his touch sending an electric shock through her body.
This was totally inappropriate given the situation, but she didn't move. She didn't want to. Though it was a subconscious decision, she secretly enjoyed this slight contact. Apart from that, her mind was too consumed with everything that had just happened, everything he'd said, that she couldn't do anything but listen and get lost in his soft brown eyes as he finished, "I trust you."
"Thanks for your confidence Mr. Karinsky, I promise you your secret's safe with me."
"Richard" he stated.
She turned around, giving him a blank stare.
"My name's Richard" he said, getting up and extending his hand to her. She briefly shook it.
"Caroline."
"Right" she nodded, nervously turning away from him again and making her way into her kitchen. She started pulling open cabinets, taking out different types of food and setting them on the counter.
"What are you doing?" he asked confusedly as she started to put the foodstuffs in a big bag. "What does it look like?" she replied in an annoyed tone, angry over her impotence to help this man. "I'm making sure you have something to eat." "Hey, that's not what I came here for, I don't want charity!" he retorted, his tone offended and angry. "I know!" she practically shouted, her voice wobbly. "But I don't know how else to help you, I just don't have a job for you."Her tone softened again.
"Look, you know where I live, so if you need more food or anything at all, feel free to um…"
Touched by her friendly gesture, his expression softened.
"Thanks" he said awkwardly, practically inaudible.After Caroline had tossed several other items in the bag, she handed it to him.
"Well, I better be off then; job hunting."
It was obviously supposed to sound cheerful but neither of them smiled.
As they entered the hallway, Del and Jeannie looked up.
"We're done, you can go back in now" Caroline assured them.
"Thanks again" he finally said as the elevator doors started gliding shut.
"Anytime…" she replied before the doors closed completely.She went back inside her apartment and leaned back against her door, finding that the lump in her throat was back again…
Winter in New York dragged on, the cold, sharp wind blazing through the streets causing the pedestrians to hunch, hiding their faces in their collars and scarves as much as possible.
Several days went by and Caroline spent large parts of them standing in front of her window, staring at the thousands of little snowflakes that whirled around outside.
She normally loved snow, it looked so beautiful, peaceful and serene.
But now she couldn't enjoy it.
She knew it was ridiculous, but she couldn't help reminiscing about the stranger who'd come by her apartment a few days ago.
Richard, that was his name. She hadn't told anyone that she still remembered every little detail about him, that she woke up thinking of the slight twitching of his mouth when he tried to smile despite his situation. But what had stayed with her most was the sad, helpless expression on his face that had returned every time.
She looked over the tall buildings, reminding herself that he was somewhere out there and she hoped that he was okay. The temperature would drop to the mid 20's again tonight and she wondered if he had somewhere warm to stay…
With a final sigh, she turned away from the window and went into the kitchen to make some hot chocolate. Her favorite movie would be on in just a few minutes and she'd planned a nice evening of staying in, watching TV with Salty.
Mug in one hand and a box of tissues in the other, she went over to the couch and sat down next to Salty.
The first tunes of the soundtrack blared out of the TV and Caroline snuggled up on the couch, pulling a plaid blanket over herself to keep warm.
Suddenly, the loud sound of the buzzer pierced through the room and Caroline nearly choked on her hot chocolate at the sound.
Placing the mug on the cedar chest, she crawled out from under the blanket and shivered when her bare feet made contact with the cold wooden floor.
"Hello?" she said into the intercom. Her right hand was pressing the button, her left arm she'd wrapped around herself in a meager attempt to keep warm.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, especially at this hour" came a trembling voice through the intercom.
"But I didn't know where else to go."
He shook his head.
"Maybe I shouldn't have come here" he started to turn away but Caroline was quick to press the buzzer.
"No, please come in, you're welcome here."
He nodded gratefully to the little camera, then entered the building. Caroline unlocked her door and turned to the kitchen to pour a second mug of hot chocolate. Her mother would kill her if she knew she'd just let in a man she hardly knew. And not just her mother, Annie would lecture her as well. She covered her eyes as she thought about this. Of course she knew it was a stupid thing to do but she could hardly let him freeze to death out there, could she? Something had made her press that buzzer, she just wasn't sure what it was.When Richard cleared his throat and caught her attention, she looked up. All doubts were instantly swept from her mind. Now she knew why…
She would've given anything to see him again or just have him near her for another moment. Grateful for the warmth he'd found in the building, he stood in the doorframe, rubbing his hands.
"I don't want to interfere" he started, eyeing her carefully "I didn't know where else to go but I don't want to be a bother…-"
"Don't be silly!" Caroline interjected, ushering him over to the sofa and helping him out of his coat in the process. He sat down and Caroline quickly pulled the plaid blanket over him.
"So…" Caroline said nervously, placing a mug of hot chocolate in front of him and sitting down in the chair next to the couch.
"What happened?"
He picked up the mug and wrapped his hands around it. Then brought it up to his face, allowing the steam to bring some color back to his cheeks. He then looked at her over the rim of his mug.
"Let's just say I've been evicted from my 'hallway apartment' on 125th street. Apparently the tenant didn't appreciate me guarding his front door."
"I see" Caroline nodded sympathetically. "Well, you can sleep on my couch if you like. Just for one night" she added quickly. "And tomorrow we'll just see, okay?"
Coffee mug in hand, Annie marched into Caroline's loft, heading straight for the coffee maker. After greeting Caroline, she cast a casual glance around the room and nearly jumped as she caught sight of the stranger sleeping on Caroline's couch.
"Who the hell is that??" she exclaimed.
Caroline looked up from her strip and placed her index finger to her lips, indicating that they should be quiet.
"Um…well it's a long story…" she said softly, her eyes darting from the sleeping man on her couch to her best friend's shocked face, "But he showed up here about a week ago in search of a job and um well,….he's an illegal immigrant."
"What?!" exclaimed Annie again, upon which Caroline persistently pressed a finger to her lips, trying to shush her friend.
"Look, like I said, he was already here a few days ago and he showed up here again last night."
"And that makes him trustworthy?" Annie hissed through clenched teeth.
"What was I supposed to do then? I could hardly let him freeze to death out there!" Caroline hissed back.
"Look, I'll just get out of your way, I'm not here to cause trouble" Richard interjected groggily, rising from the couch.
"Oh, you're awake" Caroline said.
"Yes, it was kind of hard to sleep through your little speech about ethics."
He rubbed his eyes and put his glasses back on, then started to get up.
Annie walked over, interestedly studying him as though looking at an endangered species in the zoo.
"So, you're an illegal immigrant, huh?" she queried.
He glared at her, then turned away to get his coat.
Caroline placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to sit him back down.
"Hey, don't go yet. At least eat something first"
"I don't know."
He eyed Annie warily.
"Don't worry, she won't tell anyone" Caroline assured him.
"True" Annie confirmed, "I won't tell."
He seemed to consider this for a moment before the tension in his jaw lessened slightly. Eventually he sat back down, ignoring Annie's smug grin.
"Good," Caroline nodded. "Now, let's introduce you. Richard, this is Annie Spadaro."
She superfluously gestured to Annie, "And Annie, this is Richard Karinsky."
He reluctantly extended his hand and she shook it briefly.
"So, Karinsky huh? That sounds um…interesting. What country did you say you were from?"
"I didn't" he replied defensively.
"Fine, don't tell me" Annie retorted, clearly offended, "Caroline will tell me everything later on anyway."
"Good morning Caroline, Annie" Jeannie greeted, entering the apartment.
"Oh hey, here again?" she remarked casually as she noticed Richard on Caroline's couch.
"You knew about this?!" Annie exclaimed, stunned.
"Well…no" Jeannie replied, looking taken aback. She studied Annie's expression. "He was just here to apply for my job a while ago, that's all. Why?"
"Oh, apparently he's Caroline's new house guest."
Annie stated sarcastically, defiantly crossing her arms.
"Really?" Jeannie asked in surprise as she took her portfolio over to her side of the desk, studying Richard with interest.
"No, it's nothing like that" Caroline sighed, "He was just here for one night because it was really cold last night and he had nowhere to go. Right Richard?"
He nodded empathetically.
"Right, just one night."
The 'one night' turned into two and two nights into three until Richard was sleeping on Caroline's couch for a whole week.
Caroline noticed that his presence was anything but a nuisance. She was already getting used to being woken by the smell of freshly made coffee and it was quite a luxury to have her breakfast waiting for her in the morning. He tried to help her as much as he could, his way of saying thanks. She didn't want to admit it, but she loved the company. Though she sometimes forgot that she was living alone what with Annie barging in several times a day and Jeannie to chat with while working…
But there were still the long nights when Annie was performing and Jeannie was at home with Bill. She had never told anyone but the nights were always the toughest. The hours seemed to creep by as she flipped through the channels, usually eating something while she wasn't even hungry. She hardly ever watched any of the programs but it broke the deadly silence.
It was a nice change that she now had Richard there. He wasn't much of a talker but even when they didn't talk, she felt better just having him in her presence, even if they were just silently watching TV.
Neither of them breathed a word about his extended stay.
Caroline came down the stairs, finding Richard in the kitchen, pouring coffee.
"Good morning Richard"
"Morning" he replied soberly.
A small smile crept across her lips. Ever since she'd known him, he'd refused to use the word 'good' to refer to the beginning of the day. No matter how much effort the sun put into brightening the world.
"So, more job-hunting today?" she asked cheerfully.
"Suppose so…"
He took his coffee mug with him to the couch, never tearing his eyes away from the paper he was holding.
"You'll find something eventually…" she assured him. He didn't show any indication that he'd even heard her. She was about to take the coffee pot when she found that there was already a steaming mug of coffee waiting for her on the counter which Richard had apparently poured for her.
He hadn't given it to her or even mentioned it. She smiled to herself at this sweet gesture and looked up to find him sipping his coffee, studying the ads in the paper over the rim of his mug. She placed a hand over her stomach as she willed the butterflies to stop their frantic flittering.
"Good morning guys, what's up?" Annie greeted as she barged into the loft, Jeannie in her wake.
"Good morning" Jeannie echoed, hanging up her coat.
Annie took a mug from the mug tree and glanced mischievously at Richard.
"So, how's the foreign boy today?"
Richard just glared at her and turned his attention back to the paper.
Caroline ushered her friend over to the desk with a sigh.
"His name's Richard, Annie. You should know that by now."
"Yeah, you've been here quite a while already, huh?" Jeannie asked kindly on her way over to the desk. "Haven't found a job yet?"
He looked up, shooting her the same defiant look he'd given Annie mere moments before.
"Would I still be here if I had?"
Jeannie held up a hand in defense and hurried to her side of the desk.
"Look, I'm going to look for a job now, it's getting a little too crowded in here" he said to no one in particular. He folded up the paper and quickly drained his mug before heading out the door.
"Well, you can always marry the guy, that'll get him a green card" Annie quipped when the door had closed behind him.
Caroline chuckled.
"Well, if you have any serious suggestions or maybe even a job for him, let us know. Look were you here for any particular reason or just to get some coffee? We really have to get to work. These cards are due today."
"Fine," Annie said on her way to the door, "If I hear about a possible job for Lurch I'll let you know."
"It's 'Richard'!" Caroline corrected her, but the door was closed already.
"So what are you going to do then? Let him stay here?" Jeannie asked, glancing up from the portfolio she was unzipping.
"I don't know yet. There has to be a solution to this."
They were interrupted when there was a knock on the door.
Caroline flung open the door without thinking and was startled when she found a man and a woman dressed in uniform standing on the other side.
"Good afternoon Ma'am. I'm Officer Johnson, INS" he announced, holding up his badge, "This is my colleague, Officer Harper"
He gestured to a young woman behind him. Her long blond hair was tied in a ponytail. She peered at her notepad through black rimmed glasses and only glanced up when she heard her name.
"We're here about Richard Karinsky?" the man then said.
Caroline's cheeks burnt with heat and she dug her fingernails into her palms. How did they know Richard stayed at her apartment? When this knowledge started to sink in, her heart began to pound. She knew it was highly illegal what she'd been doing, harboring an illegal immigrant. As far as speaking was even possible with her throat tightening, she didn't know what to say.
When the officer received no reply, he continued,
"We've been monitoring Mr. Karinsky and we have a strong suspicion he's an illegal immigrant. Do you know something about that, Ma'am?"
She was now starting to sweat and her heart was beating wildly in her chest. The wheels in her brain were turning furiously as she was trying to come up with an excuse.
"N-no" she eventually stammered.
She briefly glanced over her shoulder at Jeannie who was following the conversation. When she noticed the desperation in Caroline's eyes, she went over to her new employer for moral support.
"We don't know anything about that, officer" she declared firmly, taking over from Caroline.
"Is that so?" the officer replied skeptically.
"Interesting. 'Cause we've seen him come out of this apartment quite frequently. How do you explain that?"
Caroline looked at Jeannie again who could only return her helpless look. Her heart was pounding in her ears, making it hard to think. She gulped and forced herself to speak up or he'd definitely be sent back.
"Well um.…," Caroline started, playing for time, "Because um…."
Her brain nearly got overheated from all the thinking and her nerves only got worse as she felt the officer's eyes burning on her.
The officer was staring intently at her and he crossed his arms as he waited for her reply. The woman behind him had stopped writing and curiously peeked over the rim of her glasses as she watched Caroline struggle for a way out.
"In that case, I don't suppose you mind if we take a quick look around the apartment, huh?" he asked rhetorically as he and his assistant brushed past the two women and critically scanned the apartment.
"Whose paper is this?" he asked, picking up the paper with the encircled jobs in it.
"Mine" Caroline replied a little too quickly.
"And this coffee is yours too, I suppose?" he then asked, looking knowingly from the mug on the cedar chest to the two mugs on the partners desk.
"Look, what she meant was that he does live here, he's just not an illegal immigrant" Jeannie blurted out.
Her eyes darted back and forth between Caroline and the two people standing in her living room. Caroline seemed tongue-tied and the officers' suspicion was rising with each passing second.
All of a sudden, an idea entered Jeannie's mind and she wondered why nobody had thought of it before.
When Caroline still seemed unable to speak, she took one step forward and looked the officer straight in the eye.
"Because um….he's her fianc"
Caroline leaned back against the door, her eyes focused on something on her floor.
"Okay" she said, slowly drawing out the word as she covered her forehead with her hand.
"Isn't this great? Problem solved!" Jeannie exclaimed.
Caroline looked up to find her colorist smiling triumphantly at her as though she'd just found a solution to world hunger.
Was she for real? Did she not realize the gravity of her action? Caroline's eyes narrowed as she regarded her assistant, her shock transforming into anger.
"No of course it's not great, Jeannie! Why did you tell them Richard was my fiancé?
"Well…I dunno. Annie mentioned something of the sort…. it was just the first thing that leapt to mind. And in case you hadn't noticed, you're not a very good liar, Caroline. At the rate you were going, they'd still be waiting for your excuse. Besides, they wouldn't have believed you anyway, you had 'guilty' written all over your face."
"I understand that" Caroline said, "But I-I can't marry him! It's against the law to set up an arranged marriage just to keep him here!."
Jeannie shrugged.
"Well at least I got the INS off your back."
"If you think this is such a great solution, why don't you marry him then?" Caroline retorted, her colorist's casual attitude getting on her nerves.
"In case you'd forgotten, I'm already engaged. And if I'm not mistaken, polygamy is a crime in itself" Jeannie remarked, chuckling at her own joke.
Caroline glared at her assistant.
"This is not as simple as it seems, Jeannie. Have you any idea how many forms and formalities are involved with this kind of arrangement?"
Sinking down on a barstool, Jeannie admitted,
"Okay, maybe it wasn't such a smart move after all. But I'm sure there's a way out of this.…"
Two heads snapped around when the door slowly opened, just enough for Richard to slip through and quickly close it behind him. He backed against it and pressed his palms to the door as he closed his eyes in relief.
"Was that the INS I just saw leaving here?" he queried carefully. He surreptitiously turned his head to the door to catch any suspicious noises coming from the hallway.
Caroline glared at Jeannie, wondering if she'd be just as creative and 'helpful' solving this. Jeannie's answer came in the form of a helpless shrug.
Caroline directed her attention back to Richard who was still backed up against the door, taking long, deep breaths.
"Don't worry, Richard. It'll be okay."
She carefully placed a hand on his shoulder in sympathy. His eyes snapped open and he stepped away from her, her hand dropping to her side.
"What do you know?" he retorted, a nervous edge to his voice.
"Now that they know I'm here it'll only be a matter of days until they send me back. "
He took a mug out of a cabinet and started pouring coffee, his trembling hands causing the coffeepot to rhythmically clink against the mug.
Caroline turned to Jeannie.
'What now?' she mouthed.
'I don't know' Jeannie mouthed back helplessly.
"Well you're not the one going to jail!" Caroline hissed at her.
"Who's going to jail?" Richard suddenly queried, looking up from his coffee.
"I-it's not important, really" Caroline tried. "Nothing to worry about."
"Really?" he scoffed, "This'll be good. What's going on?"
When neither of the two women responded, he pressed,
"Come on, this is important! What-is-going-on?"
Unable to come up with a plausible lie, Jeannie confessed,
"We sorta…kinda… told them you're her fianc"
Her statement was followed by a shattering sound as Richard's fingers lost grip of the mug and it crashed to the tiles. He momentarily stared at the mess at his feet before looking up at Caroline, eyes wide with shock...
"You did what?" he asked softly, setting the coffeepot down on the counter.
"Well you know, they were really annoying, asking all these tricky questions and it seemed like the best way out" Jeannie explained. "I see" Richard replied calmly, "That's incredibly generous of you. Are you sure though?"He searched Caroline's eyes but she directed her gaze away from him, unable to even face him or defend Jeannie's plan. She didn't have the heart to tell him it wasn't her idea, that she'd prefer to undo it all. But they'd already gotten his hopes up and how would she explain lying to the INS?
He received no reply to his question but he was too awe-stricken to really notice. His eyes were slightly moist as he stared ahead.
"So...I get to stay here? I-I won't have to go back?"
He smiled a genuine smile for the first time since Caroline had known him and her heart broke. She was being incredibly selfish. After all, she could help him obtain a green card just by marrying him, possibly even save his life. As she looked up, their eyes locked. His eyes were filled with so many mixed emotions, it made her heart ache. She just knew there was an awful lot of sorrow and pain beneath the surface. For the first time there was also room for some hope and faith, maybe even happiness. She couldn't possibly take that away from him.
"You won't have to go back" she then assured him.
"Was that the INS I just saw?" Annie asked as she walked in. Richard's smile quickly faltered in Annie's presence.
"Go away" he ordered, annoyed that she'd ruined the happy moment.
"Hey" Annie exclaimed, offended, "They can't be too far away yet, want me to run after 'em and turn you in?" she retorted defiantly.
"Go ahead," he smirked, "I'm getting married."
He loved the stunned look that crossed Annie's features.
"Yeah, we came up with the idea to pass myself and Richard off as engaged, to get him a green card" Caroline explained.
"Really?" Annie said, turning to her friend wide-eyed."You realize that's a criminal offence, don't you? Have you any idea how complicated that can be?"
"I know"
Caroline's eyes pleaded with her friend's not to question this any further. She knew she wouldn't be able to defend the plan.
"Look, if you want to back out of this, I completely understand…" Richard suddenly interjected, looking up.
"I'll just hide out somewhere else, I'll think of something…"
The choice was simple. All it took was a simple nod and she could put all this behind her. No more INS, no more pretending, no more Richard…
The howling wind outside drew her attention momentarily away from the man she'd been staring at and when she looked back up at him, she studied his already familiar features. Several drops of water glistened in his blond hair. Melted snowflakes, she realized.
He looked at her expectantly and she realized he was bracing himself for her reply.
Nodding was all she had to do but she felt her head moving the other way and as she shook it and she nearly glowed as she noted the relief spreading across his face.
"I see" Annie said, nodding slowly. "And how do you plan to do this?"
Richard shrugged.
"I dunno. We only just decided this."
"You do realize there are very strict rules, right? They'll be watching you like a hawk. If they even suspect this is a marriage of convenience, he's going back, just like that."
She snapped her fingers for emphasis.
Richard rolled his eyes.
"Thanks for the uplifting words, Annie. Bye now."
Annie planted her fists on her hips.
"Hey, I'm only telling it the way it is! But I'm willing to help."
Jeannie nodded and sat down on the couch, indicating the chairs across from them.
"Take a seat you guys, let's make this stuff believable. Now, you've got to get your answers straight."
Annie brought in some juice and cookies from the kitchen and she and Jeannie made themselves comfortable on the couch while they studied the pair across from them as though they were about to audition for American Idol. They sure looked the part. Richard was intently studying the floor while Caroline was shifting nervously in her seat
Annie had picked up a notepad and was intently scribbling down notes, only to cross them out again a moment later.
"Now, how long had you been dating before you got engaged?" Jeannie said formally, hooking her hands around her knee.
"Eight months"
They replied simultaneously, then exchanged looks and smiled sheepishly at one another.
"Welll...okay. Different question then" Annie said, making a note in her notepad,
"Richard, when is Caroline's birthday?"
He looked at her as though she'd lost her mind.
"How am I supposed to know? Will her cat's birthday do? 'Cause that's all she keeps babbling about!"
"Excuse me?" Caroline exclaimed, turning to Richard, her brows raised.
"I do not 'babble'! I'm simply making conversation….Someone has to if you refuse to tell me anything about yourself!"
"Right. This obviously needs some work…" Annie concluded, jabbing at the notepad in her lap. "Well, how about a kiss?"
She leaned back against the pillows and folded her arms across her chest.
"Good idea" Jeannie agreed, following Annie's example.
Both Richard and Caroline turned to them, wide-eyed. "Well duh! How are you going to convince anyone you're getting married if you can't even exchange a small kiss?" Annie justified. Caroline nodded slowly, her limbs growing weak."I guess you're right."
She turned to Richard who was also nodding slowly, his eyes fixed on the cedar chest. He didn't dare look at Caroline. She was searching his eyes, looking for a cue, a sign, or anything that would decrease her nerves a bit.
She failed to make eye contact with him and her friends' eyes on her didn't help her situation. She couldn't remember ever feeling so nervous, just being in a man's presence. Maybe it was because she could never gauge what he was thinking or feeling, and he was therefore still a bit of a stranger to her although another part of him was strangely familiar.
She glanced over at Jeannie and Annie who were still watching her with an amused look on their faces."So, how about it?" Jeannie queried impatiently, leaning back against the pillows again.
Richard's eyes kept darting back and forth between Caroline and the two women across from them. When Caroline finally caught his eyes, she decided it was now or never and started leaning in.
Her throat was tight and her palms sweaty as she slowly inched closer, noting he was doing the same. Still moving closer, she closed her eyes and heard Annie and Jeannie gasp when his lips feather-lightly brushed hers. That was the moment they lost their nerve and simultaneously pulled away. She found his eyes and she tried to decide what it was they were telling her.
"There, happy now?" Richard said, crossing has arms in front of his chest, quickly looking away from Caroline.
"Ugh please" Annie scoffed, reaching for her juice on the cedar chest. "That was just pathetic. How were you planning to fool the INS if you can't even fool us?"
She reached for a cookie and sat back against the pillows as though watching a movie.
Richard abruptly pushed himself up from his seat and went into the kitchen, taking his still half-full mug with him.
"Do we really have to do this now?" he asked irritably, filling up his mug.
"I'm sure it'll be just fine."
He put the coffeepot back and lingered uncertainly in the kitchen, reluctant to go back into the living room.
When Richard shook his head, she turned to Caroline who was watching it all progress with a pensive expression on her face.
"Now Caroline, you'll need to make a bit more of an effort too, for the same reasons. Just be…-I dunno-…a little more convincing!"
"Exactly!" Annie agreed, "Now, I'd show you but I don't have a death wish. So use your imagination, okay? Now, you're supposed to be in love, so go again."With a heavy sigh meant to express his reluctance, Richard resumed his seat. He set down his coffee mug and looked nervously around the room before looking at Caroline.
Caroline sat up in her chair and twisted her hands into a knot, trying to contain her nerves.
The pair locked eyes again but somehow it was different this time…
Conscious thought didn't seem to come into it anymore because they showed no signs that they'd even heard Annie and just when she was about to repeat her order, they simultaneously started to lean in. So slowly, that Jeannie found herself holding her breath as she watched their faces getting closer and closer together.
When they were no more than an inch apart, both their eyes snapped shut and without hesitation, they closed the gap.
Jeannie nudged Annie in excitement as they watched the pair across from them who seemed completely lost in their kiss.
Caroline's hands were framing his face and she shivered when his fingertips ran down her sides before resting on her hips. When their tongues touched, she wound her arms around his neck, completely forgetting they had an audience.
Richard's arms snaked tightly around her waist and she melted into him, feeling so happy and safe, she didn't care it was all fake. Nor did she care about the audible gasps and giggles that escaped Annie and Jeannie as the kiss started to escalate.
"Well...that'll do…" Annie said, taken aback.
Caroline's arms slid from Richard's neck and they slowly pulled apart, seemingly finding their breath before turning back to Jeannie and Annie.
There was no denying that the atmosphere in the room had become rather awkward.
Jeannie got up, brushing some imaginary crumbs off her jeans.
"Well, I think that's enough for today, I'm going home."
She shrugged on her coat.
"Keep up the good work" she mumbled on her way out
."Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Annie asked cheerfully.
"Just keep practicing and everyone will believe you're madly in love. I almost believed you!"
Without looking at Caroline, he grabbed his coat off the coat rack and left, not bothering to put on his coat inside.
"I'm not sure I can do this, Annie" Caroline sighed as soon as they were alone. She covered her eyes with her hand as though it would make her, along with her problems, invisible.
Annie smiled sympathetically.
"Well you did great just now. And I know it's unthinkable to keep it up, but we'll work something out. You just have to pretend you're madly in love with the guy."
She grimaced at the mental image that accompanied this thought.
A long breath escaped Caroline as she let her hands drop in her lap. She sat back in her chair.
"No Annie, what I mean is that I won't have to pretend. I am madly in love with him…!"
"Hon, are you really or do you just think you are? I mean, you've been under a lot of pressure lately and that kiss just now...I can understand you're a little confused…"
She kindly put a hand on Caroline's shoulder but she shrugged it off as she abruptly got up.
"Don't patronize me, Annie. I know what I feel..." Slightly taken aback, Annie watched her friend pace in front of the counter.
Caroline was hardly the type to impulsively act on her feelings or make any rash decisions. For her to even state her feelings aloud was an indication that she was being serious.
"Gosh, I'm really sorry Caroline. I never would've insisted on that kiss if I'd known."
Caroline waved away her friend's apology, still avoiding her gaze.
"Not your fault…"
"Okay" Annie breathed, "But explain to me why you're so upset then? I mean, since when is marrying a guy you're crazy about a bad thing?" "Because!" Caroline exclaimed in frustration, throwing up a hand for emphasis, "Because, it's just a business arrangement. I'm his way to a green card and nothing more." "But hon," Annie objected, "How can you be so sure? He might have feelings for you too." Caroline glared at Annie, then turned away from her.
"Oh come on, Annie!" she scoffed, "You saw the look on his face when you suggested that kiss! He couldn't get away from me fast enough just now. Have you ever seen any signs that he feels something for me other than gratitude?"
Annie had to admit the answer was 'no'. The man was pretty hard to read and Caroline was right, though it wasn't impossible that he felt the same, there sure was nothing to back it up. She searched for words that would put Caroline's mind at ease, but there wasn't a single rationalization she could think of. "Well, I'll take your silence as a 'no'" Caroline observed. "Caroline…" "No, it's okay, Annie. I'll just have to find a way to deal with this, although I have no idea how I'm going to do that. It already drives me nuts having him around several hours a day. How am I going to live with him, having all these feelings and not being able to do anything about them?? How?"
In the days that followed, Caroline did what she could to get her feelings under control. The various forms to arrange their intended marriage started pouring in, making their engagement official.
Caroline found herself in a constant state of confusion and doubt. Rationally thinking, ending the engagement would be the best way to prevent her feelings from getting stronger. Yet her heart beat faster every time he walked into the room and the butterflies never seemed to leave her stomach. It was a wonderful feeling and she couldn't bear part with it.Richard was totally oblivious to the chaos he'd stirred up. Of course he knew that Caroline had gone to tremendous effort for him since the day he'd walked into her life and he was very grateful for that. But he didn't seem to notice that her complexion turned scarlet whenever he looked at her or that her babbling became even less coherent when he was in the room.
"What's this?" he asked, looking up from the paper as she handed him a bunch of forms.
"More forms…" she sighed, "After we send this in, the INS will come over for an interview."
He arranged the paper into a neat pile and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Taking a pen from the cedar chest, he sat down on a barstool and bent over the papers, scrunching up his forehead as he studied them.She took her own forms and sat down on the barstool next to him, feeling like they were two twelve-year olds, doing homework together.
She tapped her pen on the surface of the counter, not really taking in the text on the forms as she surreptitiously peeked through her lashes at the man next to her.
He looked almost tortured as he studied the papers in front of him, repeatedly pushing his hands through his sandy blond hair.
Putting her pen down, she lightly touched his shoulder.
"Need any help?"
He looked up, his hands dropping to the counter. The corners of his mouth curled up a fraction, resembling a grin.
"I'm fine. It's just all so complicated…I can't help thinking about what will happen if they catch us …"
Unable to find the right words, he shook his head. When he looked up at her, they locked eyes and stared at each other just a beat too long before he looked down at his forms again.She smiled sweetly at him but he didn't see it.
"We'll just need to be well-prepared, then everything will be fine" she assured him.
He looked up again and without thinking, covered her small hand with his. His touch instantly made her skin hypersensitive and she already felt the familiar swarm of butterflies rising in her stomach.
"Thanks…" he said softly.
The whole room went silent as they just stared at each other and Caroline was certain the wild pounding of her heart was audible to the both of them.
As she stared into his soft, brown eyes, she couldn't help but uttering,
"We don't have to pretend, you know…"
It came out softly, carefully. For a moment she wondered if he'd even heard her because they remained locked in their stare, frozen in place.
She wondered if she'd have the nerve to draw her hand away from his to hook it around his neck and pull him closer. Her eyes wandered to his lips and just the memory of how soft and wonderful they felt on hers made her all giddy inside.
The battle between desire and nerve raged on and she felt her breathing quicken, damning herself for being so spineless. One more kiss, that was all she wanted.
The shrill ring of the phone made her jump.
She quickly grabbed it from the counter and moved away from Richard until she was out of earshot.
"Annie!" she hissed into the receiver as her best friend's voice boomed down the line.
"I was just about to make a move on Richard!"
"Yeah and I'm entering a convent" Annie deadpanned.
"Well…okay" she reluctantly admitted, realizing her friend knew her better than she did herself.
"So maybe I wasn't exactly about to make a move but I was definitely thinking about it…!"
She could practically hear Annie rolling her eyes on the other side of the line.
"Right. Anyway," Annie sighed, "Where are you?? I've been waiting outside the theater for half an hour already…"
Caroline's hand flew up to cover her mouth.
"Oh, the movie! I'm sorry Annie, I completely forgot!"
"At least you have a valid excuse. Sounds like you were having fun with Richie, eh..?"
Caroline smirked at Annie's playful inquiry.
"Ugh, you know, under normal circumstances I'd be the happiest girl alive but this whole fake-marriage thing is causing too much heartache. I wish it would just go away, you know?"
It wasn't until the week after that Caroline realized she should be careful what she wished for…
The wedding date approached quickly and Caroline's nerves increased each day. Strangely enough, she wasn't dreading it at all. In fact, she savored every moment she got to spend with him and there were times when she considered herself the luckiest girl alive. Minor glitch though; he didn't share these feelings. Whenever this thought entered her mind, she pushed it away. She wasn't exactly the type to bottle things up but she had no choice.
Jeannie looked up from her work and caught Caroline's eyes. With a heavy sigh she capped her marker and placed it back in the standard.
"Look Caroline, there's something I have to tell you."
Caroline cocked her head to the side and curiously studied her assistant, wondering why she was being so formal all of a sudden.
"What's going on, Jeannie?"
Jeannie started chewing her bottom lip, adopting her most innocent face.
"Bill got offered a job in Chicago" she stated, then quickly continued, not giving Caroline the chance to reply, "It's a once in a lifetime opportunity and well…..we really feel we should go for it."
"'We'…so, you're leaving?" Caroline verified. When she received an apologetic nod in response she exclaimed, "B-but you only just started this job!"
"I know" Jeannie agreed, throwing up both hands, "But it really is a dream job and I just think Bill should take it or we'll regret it. Besides, this is actually quite good news for you. What with me leaving, Richard can have my job and you won't have to get married anymore!"
She grinned brightly and Caroline suddenly felt sick…
The elevator doors slid open and Annie emerged, heading right to her apartment. She scrambled in her 'Cats' duffel bag for her keys and stifled a yawn as she unlocked her apartment, ready to drop onto her bed and sleep for a week.
She jumped when a voice broke the nightly silence.
"Annie..?"
Placing a hand over her racing heart, she slowly turned around, her eyes instantly drifting to the floor where her best friend was sitting in front of her door, hugging her knees.
"My god, Caroline what are you doing out here? How long have you been sitting out here?" she asked as she pulled her friend up from the floor.
"Not that long" Caroline replied meekly, brushing past Annie into the apartment.
Puzzled over her behavior, Annie followed her inside, dropping her keys on the kitchen counter before going over to Caroline who had sat down on the bed.
"Caroline…? Are you okay?"
"I don't know" Caroline replied, smiling at Annie.
"Have you ever been asked that question and found that you just didn't know the answer?"
Annie shook her head and sat down next to her.
"Not really, no."
"Well that's how I'm feeling. Jeannie quit today. She's moving to Chicago because Bill got offered a job there. With Jeannie moving, Richard can have her job and get a green card..."
"And you won't have to get married anymore…" Annie finished, sensing where the conversation was heading.
"Exactly. And I don't know what to think or feel. I suppose it would be much simpler. It's probably best for everyone…"
"So, what did Richard say?" Annie queried.
"I wouldn't know, I haven't told him yet" admitted Caroline with a heavy sigh before letting herself drop onto the bed.
"What am I gonna do now?" she thought out loud as she stared up at the ceiling.
"Well you are gonna tell him, aren't you? Or were you planning on just marrying the poor guy?" Annie teased as she hung up her 'Cats' jacket.
"Of course not!" exclaimed Caroline in dismay. "You know I would never do that. I'll tell him, I just have to figure out how…."
"You know, this may sound like a ridiculous idea but while you're at it, how about telling him how you feel about him?" Annie suggested as she disappeared into her bathroom to change.
Caroline slowly sat up again, considering Annie's idea.
"Really?"
"Sure! I mean, what have you got to lose?" Annie replied, sticking her head around the corner, "Now that you're not getting married anymore, you can be honest about your feelings and at least you'll know where you stand."
"So you think I should just tell him?"
"Absolutely" Annie nodded, emerging from the bathroom.
"Just one question though, won't it look a little suspicious if you're suddenly calling off the engagement?"
Caroline wrinkled her nose.
"I dunno, will it?"
"Yeah well since you already started the procedure…"
"Well maybe I will just tell them we got into a fight or something, these things happen, right?"
Annie stifled a yawn, then nodded.
"If you say so. Now would you mind getting off my bed? I'd like to get some sleep…"
It was Friday afternoon and Caroline sat at the desk, coloring her strip herself because Jeannie had said goodbye yesterday and would not come back. When Richard had asked her where her assistant was, she'd told him Jeannie had the day off. Which was true, in a way. She'd just conveniently left out the fact that she'd have the day off on Monday as well… And the day after that…
She knew she had to tell him eventually but she was really dreading it.
Caroline capped her marker and studied him as he was studying some visa information, a bored expression on his face. A tiny smile crept across her lips as she studied him. She couldn't help it, no matter how depressed or angry he looked, she still felt happy gazing at him.
Her attention was constantly drawn away from her strip because her eyes kept drifting to Richard, hoping that maybe once he'd catch her glance. But he never did. He either didn't notice her eyes on him or decided to ignore them, because his eyes remained firmly fixed on the forms in front of him.
The quality of her comic strip hadn't exactly improved over the past couple of days and if her main focus remained on Richard, she too would be out of a job soon. Time to speak up, she decided.
She repeatedly cleared her throat, trying to get his attention.
"Richard?" she finally said, dropping the subtlety since he obviously wasn't planning on responding.
He reluctantly tore his eyes away from the forms and looked up. "Yes?"
Caroline thought for a moment, not wanting to give up but not knowing what else to say either. She reached up and wound a lock of hair around her finger, a nervous twitch she'd developed over time.
"Could we um…maybe… talk for a moment?"
She got up and nodded towards the couch, beckoning him over.
He put the forms away, instantly wary.
"Have you changed your mind?" he asked carefully.
Caroline smiled nervously, sitting down across from him on the cedar chest, crossing one leg over the other.
"No, I haven't. Actually, I like having you around."
She attempted an encouraging smile, hoping to break the ice, but only received a blank stare in return. She sighed inwardly. If not even a compliment could provoke a smile or any form of response from this man, she wondered if this conversation would lead anywhere.
"Look, Richard I have to tell you something" she said bluntly, ignoring his wary look.
"Jeannie doesn't have the day off, she quit to move to Chicago with her fiancé."
His eyes grew slightly in size as he looked back at her.
"Really?"
She nodded.
"Yes, and she suggested that it would probably be best if you took her job."
He was silent for a moment, considering this.
"Yeah, I suppose it would huh? Might make things a little easier on us both."
Caroline nodded satisfactory as though just having solved a difficult equation.
"Thought so…"
"Why did you wait until now to tell me though? You must've known this for a while already."
She paused momentarily before answering, as though weighing off the pros and cons of telling the truth.
"Well I wasn't sure how you'd react, I didn't want to make things even harder on you" she replied, losing her nerve again. She couldn't bring herself to give him the real reason she hadn't told him, that she didn't want to break off the engagement.
A hint of a smile crossed his lips as he watched her struggle for the right words.
"That's really sweet of you but I'll be fine" he assured her.
"You know I'm incredibly grateful for all you've done for me, don't you?"
He grasped her hands, suddenly turning serious.
Was she imagining things or did he look a little flustered? When he looked up at her, his eyes had softened and he seemed to be trying to communicate without speaking, unable to find the words to bear his message. When she felt her throat tightening and her face growing hot, she knew she was a goner. Her thoughts flashed back to their kiss. She ached to be that close to him again and fought not to pull him into her arms.
"Richard, I'm in love with you" she heard herself confessing.
"I have been since the moment you stepped through my front door. I was afraid to tell you, because we hardly knew each other. And when Jeannie suggested you take her job I just didn't know what to do or feel anymore, you know?" she explained in one breath.
She didn't know what sort of response she'd expected, but it sure wasn't this. His mouth was slightly open, as though he was about to speak any moment, and he just stared back at her, his eyes reflecting all sorts of emotions.
He sighed, looking down at their hands before pulling his right hand away from hers to rake it through his hair.
"Geez, Caroline. I don't know what to say to this, it is kind of a bombshell you just dropped."
Caroline nodded.
"I know, but I just had to get it out. I've been keeping these feelings bottled up far too long and frankly, it was just bothering me too much."
He nodded, his eyes not quite finding hers as he looked past her, still not responding to what she'd told him.
She put her hand on his cheek, forcing him to look at her.
"Richard? Talk to me…"
"I just don't know what to say…"
"Well, can't you tell me how you feel?" she pressed, her face slowly inching closer to his.
She held her breath as she waited for his reply, able to feel his cheek growing hotter under her hand.
He just stared back at her, apparently at a loss for words.
The seconds crept by as she also placed her other hand on his cheek, framing his face in her hands. She then slowly leaned in to place her lips over his, tenderly kissing him.
For a moment, she feared she'd made a big mistake and she was relieved when she felt him respond. She smiled against his lips as she felt a hand glide up her leg, to rest on her hip. She removed her hands from his face and wound them around his neck, before sinking down next to him on the couch, never breaking the kiss.
A hand traveled up her back and wound in her hair, his fingers on her scalp giving her goose bumps.Her right hand slid around his neck, unbuttoning the top button of his shirt, then reaching for the second.
His eyes popped open and in a split second, his hand clamped over hers as he jerked away from her.
Trying to take in what was happening, Caroline stared at him in utter amazement as she watched him get up.
"Richard…?"
"I'm sorry" he stated, "I can't do this..."
He strode over to the door and reached for his coat, ignoring Caroline's shocked expression.
"Hold on, you can't just walk out on me like that" Caroline objected, jumping up after him and grasping his arm, forcing him to look at her.
"What's going on?"
He briefly closed his eyes as though taking himself momentarily away from the situation to think.
"Look Caroline, I can't do this. If this goes wrong…"
He shook his head as though shaking off the mental image that accompanied his words.
"I just couldn't cope anymore. I've been through too much already. Let's just forget this ever happened, okay?"
Caroline shook her head, unable to believe what she was hearing.
"Richard, what makes you think this would go wrong?"
Her pleading eyes found his but it was as though he'd pulled up an invisible wall between them, making it impossible for her to reach him.
"Because that's all I've ever known" he replied sadly, busying himself buttoning up his coat.
"I know you've been through a lot but your past shouldn't dictate your future. Why not look at this as a chance to start over? I'm here for you, I'll support you all the way."
She encouragingly squeezed his arm, searching his eyes again.
But he closed them, avoiding eye contact. When he opened them, the expression in them had changed.
"Caroline, you don't understand, okay?" he retorted, jerking his arm away from her.
"I can't take the risk. Not now I've finally found some stability."
Caroline's bottom lip quivered as she spoke, "But you can't just throw away a chance at happiness just because you're scared..?"
"Actually, I'd rather be miserable and safe than happy and at risk of losing it again."
He turned his back to her and went to gather his things, indicating that the conversation was over.
She was pushing him and she knew it, but she simply couldn't let him walk out on her. Hoping to say something that would change his mind, she stated firmly,"I don't believe you. Not after what happened between us. I know what I felt and I'm pretty sure you felt it too…"
"Let's just drop it, okay?" he snapped, his voice balancing on the edge of anger and desperation as he brushed past her to the door.
"I can't. Not until I know if you love me or not..."
"No! Okay?! No, I don't have any feelings for you and no, I don't want to discuss it anymore! Was that all?!"
With that he reached for the doorknob and slammed the door on his way out.
Defeated, Caroline sunk down on her couch and rested her elbows on her knees, covering her eyes with her hands. She fought to stay calm as different thoughts started wheeling around her mind like a roller coaster.
When the front door opened again, she looked up, hoping Richard had come back to scoop her into his embrace and tell her he didn't mean any of it. Her head dropped to her chest again when she found Del standing in her living room.
"What happened to you?" he asked when he saw the bewildered look in her eyes. Though not the most perceptive person in the world, he sensed quickly that she was in trouble when he didn't receive the usual, cheerful reply.
He sat down next to her on the couch and laid a hand on her shoulder.
"It's Richard…" she said, wiping at the two tears that slipped down her cheek. She looked up at her friend, her brown eyes glistening with tears.
"He doesn't love me."
Upon seeing the hurt in her eyes, Del pulled her to him in a hug, muttering soothing words into her ear.
"Why do you say that? I thought he really cared for you" he said softly, stroking her red hair.
"I thought so too, but he just told me he doesn't have any feelings for me…"
She gasped for breath as she repressed a sob, determined to hold back the flood of tears. She knew she wouldn't be able to stop crying anymore if she didn't.
Del was a sweet friend but she could just tell he had no idea how to handle the situation. He was probably racking his brain for some advice. After one more wipe of her eyes, she determinedly stood up, wiping her hands on her jeans.
The coffeemaker had just finished making fresh coffee and she went over to get them both a cup.
"Can't you just kick him out?" Del suddenly suggested.
She spun around, her expression shocked.
"No of course not!" she exclaimed in horror.
"Del, that would leave him without a job or a green card. Besides, I can hardly punish the man for being honest about his feelings…"
"So what are you gonna do then?"
She shrugged.
"Deal with it…somehow."
She then went into the kitchen to pour them some coffee.
An hour later, Caroline hopefully looked up as she heard Richard enter. He avoided her eyes and greeted her meekly as he strode over to the other side of the room. He picked up the forms again and stuck to his suggestion of 'never mentioning it again' with full devotion…
The days passed and neither Richard nor Caroline brought up the kiss again. Both focused on their new work relationship. Richard had taken Jeannie's place as Caroline's colorist and they now spent full days together, working across from each other at the partners desk. The days were pretty much the same. Nothing remarkable happened and it seemed they were getting used to this new situation.
Today wasn't any different. Richard was sitting quietly at his side of the desk, coloring a panel while Annie lay stretched out on Caroline's couch, watching a foreign soap opera. Caroline was talking to no one in particular about her meeting with Del she'd have later that day. Everything that had happened seemed miles away. She'd shoved the annoying feelings far away and whenever they threatened to come up again, she just applied more pressure to deny their existence.
Annie sometimes tried to talk to her about it but she preferred to ignore the topic because it was easier to deal with that way. Eventually, Annie had given up, deciding that Caroline's way was probably best and she hoped it would help her get over him more quickly.
Her normally so cheerful expression had been replaced with one that expressed sorrow and worry and it didn't suit her at all.
Richard realized he'd hurt her and had repeatedly considered bringing it up but always decided to stay quiet, not wanting to ruin even more.
Thanks to his job as Caroline's colorist, he was finally assured of a green card.
So, he sat at the desk day after day, obediently coloring panel after stupid panel, being bored out of his brain.
In his old country, he was an artist. Not a very successful one but he made enough to live off of. Being a colorist came no where near his original occupation but he wouldn't dream of complaining.
Tearing her attention momentarily away from the Spanish soap opera, Annie cast surreptitious glances at the pair. She wondered if she were imagining things or if Richard looked up from his work just a little too often? Of course she knew this was true of Caroline who still couldn't resist stealing a glance at Richard when she thought no one noticed…
But Richard…?
She couldn't be sure because she had to look at the TV in order not to be obvious. Soon, she was engrossed in the soap again as she tried to decide why the characters suddenly seemed angry with each other. She sighed with frustration and turned off the TV, tossing the remote on the couch as she got up.
On her way to the kitchen, there was a loud knock on the door. When she was about to walk over, there was another persistent knock.
Richard and Caroline simultaneously looked up, wondering what was going on.
"Alright already, take it easy…" Annie muttered, turning the knob and swinging open the door.
She'd barely had the chance to fully open it when Officer Johnson and two other officers stormed in.
"There he is!" he exclaimed, pointing at Richard.
Startled, he jumped up from his seat, taking a few steps back. The color drained from his already pale face as he realized this was no social call…
Caroline looked back and forth between the group of men in her living room and Richard. She then turned to the officer, slowly getting out of her chair.
"Hold on, what's going on here?"
"That's what we'd like to know" stated a second officer, defiantly crossing his arms in front of his chest.
"What's going on?" Annie chipped in, the knob still in her hand.
"We're here to arrest Mr. Karinsky"
"What?" Caroline shrieked, dropping her marker. "Why?!"
"For planning an arranged marriage" the third officer explained.
"Or were you going to tell us that you and um…Mr. Karinsky here.." he gestured to Richard who was still backed up against the wall and was following the conversation.
"That you two weren't just planning to get married to get him a green card? You realize that's a criminal offence, Miss Duffy?"
"O-o-..of course I do…" Caroline stammered, her cheeks flaming a guilty shade of red.
The tall officer in the middle reached for his back pocket and pulled out some handcuffs. He cleared his throat as he went over to her.
"In that case Miss Duffy, I'm going to have to arrest you too for complicity."
To everyone's horror, he flicked open the cuffs in one smooth movement and reached for Caroline's wrists.
"No, wait!" Richard suddenly exclaimed, moving away from his side of the desk and carefully approaching the small group of people in the room.
"D-don't arrest her, she didn't do anything…"
The officer looked up and the opened cuffs remained frozen in place, only inches from Caroline's wrists which he still had in his grasp.
"Really? First she's your fiancée then your employer, just a little too convenient don't you think?"
Richard's eyes darted around the room, somewhat shocked that he suddenly had everyone's attention. He looked at Annie who was still standing by the door, her expression showing nothing but worry. The expression of the three officers was defiant, here and there mixed with skepticism, almost amused even as they watched him struggle for words.
He then looked at Caroline, her wrists still held together by the officer. Her brown eyes seemed twice as big as she looked up at him in amazement, wondering what reason he felt was good enough to keep them from arresting her.
It gave him the affirmation and courage he needed to go on. He opened his mouth to speak when Del's voice suddenly rang through the silent apartment as he strode through the open door.
"Hey, here I am, just in time for our meeting!" he announced cheerfully, then looked around the room and his smile quickly fell.
"What's going on here?" he queried. "Caroline..?"
"Could you step aside please?" Officer Johnson instructed persistently. "We're in the middle of an arrest here."
Del's jaw dropped in shock.
"An arrest..? Why? What for?"
The officer standing near Caroline finally dropped Caroline's wrists and took away the cuffs to usher Del out of the way.
"We're arresting Mr. Karinsky and Miss Duffy for planning an arranged marriage. Now if you'd just stand aside and be quiet for a moment, I believe Mr. Karinsky had something to say first…?"
Del reluctantly joined him as he stood next to the other two officers and they once again directed their attention at Richard who was still standing in the middle of the room, holding everyone's interest.
He swallowed hard, his flushed cheeks and wavering voice giving away just how nervous he was.
"Look, don't arrest Caroline, she did nothing wrong."
"So you said" Officer Johnson nodded unimpressed.
"And why do you say that?"
"Because…" he cast a quick glance at Caroline who was still looking at him, the same stunned expression crossing her features. He took a moment to steady his voice before he continued, "Because she never lied to either of you. We were in fact engaged, but it was not an arranged marriage, we really love each other."
He caught Caroline's glance again and something leapt in her stomach, utter surprise overwhelming her. So she just stood there, unable to move, watching the whole thing progress as though seeing it on TV.
"Is that so?" the second officer replied skeptically, arching his brows.
"If that's true, why did you break off the engagement and began working for her?"
He sighed, turning to meet Caroline's eyes as he spoke.
"Because I come from a country where I was never safe, where nothing was certain… Just living meant looking over your shoulder all the time and distrusting everyone..."
He looked at the group momentarily before looking down into Caroline's eyes.
"So when I came here, it felt wonderful yet strange to know that I was safe. I had a hard time believing that people could be nice without having an ulterior motive. So when this wonderful woman here told me she was in love with me, I was overjoyed at first but instantly wary. Things that good don't exist, not in my world anyway."
He shook his head to emphasize his statement before continuing,
"So instead of grabbing onto my chance at happiness, I turned away from it, I was so certain it would bring me more heartache if I didn't. Little did I know that in turning away from one pain, I was just turning towards a different one…"
He tailed off, the underlying meaning of his words crystal clear to Caroline who looked up at him through a gray mist of tears that she frantically tried to blink back. She stepped closer to him and he placed a hand on her hip as he continued speaking without breaking eye contact, ignoring their spectators.
"When her assistant left it just made sense for me to take her place. I was more than qualified after all. But not a moment passed that I didn't regret my actions. Sitting across from her everyday and pretending we were just boss and employer was excruciating. I love her. With all my heart, I was just afraid to admit it. So yes, we broke off the engagement but I was hoping that someone as obstinate as me could have one more go at happiness and maybe get a second chance…?"
Without saying anything, Caroline fell against him, hugging him tightly and burying her face in his shirt. She was overjoyed that he'd just said everything she'd wanted him to say.
He pulled her against him and kissed the top of her head. They just stood there for a moment before Richard looked up at the officers in the room.
Each looked taken aback, all the smugness had disappeared from their faces and they looked dumbly at one another, hoping the other would speak first.
The officer next to Del looked down at the handcuffs he still held in his hands and carefully stored them in his pocket, clearing his throat to lift the awkward atmosphere.
"Well…"
"Right.." Officer Johnson added, looking from the happy couple to the two officers behind him.
"I think we were misguided, Mr. Karinsky. You obviously love each other very much. Our apologies."
He started backing away to the door, almost tripping over the rug. The other two officers followed him and they disappeared through the still open door.
There was a moment of silence in the loft before Del's applause broke the peaceful moment.
"Nicely said, Richard!" he complimented, patting him roughly on the back, causing the pair to break away from their embrace.
"Don't know where you dig this stuff up."
"Del!" Annie interjected, trying to beckon him over with a head-jerk.
"What?"
"Let's give them some privacy" she insisted. When Del remained in place, she sighed exasperatedly and went over to him, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him out of the apartment.
"Fine, I'll come" he complied as he walked over with her to the door.
"What's that?" he remarked as he caught her wiping at her eye. "Is that a t-.."
"Nothing!" Annie snapped, and quickly pulled him into the hallway with her.
When they were gone, Richard looked up, chuckling.
"Annie shed a tear??"
He shook his head incredulously.
Caroline smiled and reached up to touch his face.
"Well, I'm not that surprised, that was really moving."
He smiled coyly, brushing a strand of hair away from her face.
"It was all true. And I love you, I really do."
"I love you too" she declared, winding her arms around his neck to kiss him.
He smiled, pulling away and gently taking her arms to remove them from his neck.
"So, let's do this properly then…" he said, taking a step back.
She scrunched up her forehead in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
He then sank down on one knee, taking her hand in his and smiling as she clamped her other hand over her mouth.
"Will you marry me, Caroline?"
She nodded empathetically and sank down on her knees as well before he had a chance to get up.
They hugged each other tightly for a few moments then pulled back to smile brightly at each other, thankful that all problems were behind them.
They leaned in for a kiss but abruptly looked up when their attention was caught by loud cheering, coming through the front door that was still ajar…
The End