My Husband Is A Stranger

Chapter Eight - Stranger

Clara got off the bus peacefully, she used her hands to block the sun that’s shining so brightly at the vast blue skies.

She smiled before setting her eyes at the cheap motel where she decided to stay. The good thing is, this kind of business doesn’t need any important verification such as identification cards.

Clara paid for her room and got the key in an instant before she started running upstairs to prepare herself.

After unlocking her room on the second floor, she was greeted with a plain-looking single bed, a small flat screen, and an old air-conditioner hanging on the corner of the room.

Clara locked the door as she decided to clean herself inside a tiny bathroom that contains all of the necessities that she needs.

Luckily, she brought the blow dryer to dry her hair faster. Clara slipped into a simple midi white dress that’s puffed on the sleeves and was heart-shaped on the top, she took this with her because it looks decent enough just in case she’ll get married today.

It’s convenient because she doesn’t need to change and just ask that random stranger to proceed to the city hall to sign papers, she has enough cash here to make the process faster.

Clara glanced at the mirror and made herself look decent enough for many strangers to immediately agree on marrying her.

After fixing herself, she took a small pouch, put her cash, a few retouching powders, and phone over there. She went out of her room and started striding on the hallways to find a husband for today.

Clara went to a coffee shop first, then a restaurant, and then vice versa, but sadly, her luck probably ran out because she hasn't found one yet.

Everyone was rejecting her whenever she tried to approach them because they thought she was just an attention-seeker and a scam but they just don’t know how desperate Clara was.

She didn’t know that it would be this hard most especially, where the hell would she find a random stranger alone?

She bit her lip as she gazed around the next place she targeted, it’s a coffee shop again, everyone was absorbed in what they were doing. Some were on a phone, typing something from their laptop for work, and some had their companions.

Clara peeked through the far corner and saw a man who was alone, drinking his coffee like he’s been stressed out about a lot of things.

She ate up her pride and dignity before she decided to approach that guy in a suit, “H-Hello um, are you busy?” Clara politely asked, but it seems like that man didn’t notice her.

“Ahem,” she pretended to cough, so that man planted a plain gaze at her, “Excuse me, but may I ask you something?” she courteously asked, so the man just nodded at her.

She sighed in relief before looking at him intently, “A-Are you interested in accepting my hand in marriage?” she finally blurted out, which made his eyes widened before he burst out in laughter.

“A-Are you serious, girl?” the stranger asked, so Clara just nodded at him as he burst out in laughter more.

“I’m sorry girl, even if I wanted to, you’re not exactly my type, I prefer someone more handsome than me,” the stranger became soft like her as he winked.

Clara felt like she offended someone before lowering her head, she asked a gay to marry her isn’t that great? She mentally cursed in her head.

“I-I’m sorry, I just really needed to get married today,” she bit her lip as she apologized, so the stranger just nodded at her.

It isn’t new that a lot of young people want to get married early, everyone has their specific reasons. But this random stranger probably thought Clara was pregnant and was running away from her father.

“No worries girl, if you want to look for an instant husband, you should check places like the bars, let me recommend you here,” the random gay gave her a card of a place.

“It’s a very fancy club, you should check it out, lot of rich hunks are lurking around there,” he smiled before dabbing some napkin gracefully on the corners of his lips. Clara smiled because this guy seemed to have more care for his body compared to her.

“Thank you, I’ll check this place out,” she sincerely said as she bowed her head. Clara then decided to rest since it's almost noon and she has to eat her brunch. Plus, clubs here open before dinner.

***

The tapping of her simple white flat shoes was the only thing that she could hear aside from the horns of the cars in the middle of the streets while gazing at the card that a gay stranger gave her a while ago.

Clara raised her head after she realized she arrived at the destination, “Saverino Club,” she read while gazing at the huge fancy club before her.

She witnessed how many beautiful men and women in less fabric clothing were trying to get inside.

The gay a while ago also told her to mention his name if the bouncer asked because he’s a very well-known customer over there and their boss. At first, she was shocked at the news but she was thankful that she met him.

Clara didn’t know what to do as she was pacing back and forth as she continued clasping her hands against each other. She was nervous and cold, she didn't know what to do as she kept roaming around different coffee shops and fancy restaurants to find herself a husband a while ago.

She lost count of how many restaurants and coffee shops she's been to even after lunch when she tried again, she didn't have any luck on asking many different men to marry her even if they're not eligible to her taste.

Her thoughts were clouded that her aunt was the reason why she was here, she was here stressing about finding herself an instant husband. She didn't have a choice, she can't be married to some old man that just wants to get under her pants.

She took a glance at her wristwatch, she bit her lip as she felt helpless as she knew she was running out of time.

Her aunt will start looking for her if she knew that she was missing at the dinner where the arranged marriage will be upheld. She can't get married to that old geezer, she just can't!

"Come on please, just a random man that's alone, decent or not, I have no other choice," she muttered helplessly as she kept on glancing on that fancy club with that loud music booming from the outside.

She already buried her dignity 6 feet below the ground to ask many random strangers to marry her; some men were even suggesting to find a husband in a club because it would be much easier like what the gay has told her a while ago. So here she was, contemplating on getting in, not wanting to be disappointed at not finding one.

Clara mustered up every courage she could gather outside before exhaling out a lungful of air, "O-Okay I'm going in to find my husband," she said shakingly before striding confidently inside of that club.

She was about to step in when a huge hand stopped her, “Stop right there lady in white, you have to wait in line,” the black man bouncer firmly said, so she bit her lip and whispered the name of the gay a while ago in his ears.

“I’m Mr. Saverino’s friend, a.k.a Ms. Sally,” Clara nervously said, so the bouncer was surprised for a moment while checking her out from head to toe, he was wondering why a woman is here for his gay boss.

No one knows the real name of his boss aside from his friends and secret flings, he just shrugged and nodded before letting her in.

The loud music was ringing in her ears as she kept on seeing lots of dancing almost naked bodies all around the place with flashing colorful lights everywhere striking through the walls. She lowered her head as she saw other people gazing at her like she doesn't belong there.

She's wearing a simple white dress and shoes, can they blame her? She just wanted to be prepared just in case someone would agree to marry her.

Her eyes roamed around as she saw many strangers making out with other strangers. She didn't know what to do when she ended up on the bar counter, it's the only peaceful place she could go to, she was so overwhelmed at what she saw inside of this fancy club.

“One tequila please,” she requested of the bartender while raising her hand, who immediately just nodded at her.

After ordering some drinks, she slowly noticed that she wasn't sitting alone on a counter. A man was holding a bottle of Chivas and it looked like he wanted to be alone on that corner.

Clara's eyes gleamed, she didn't know what happened after she saw him but she knew that stranger was her last hope of being saved by her aunt's clutches.

“E-Excuse me,” she paced towards there with her heart pounding against her chest. It was hard to check out his face because his head was low while he’s slowly circling his shot glass using his fingers.

That stranger didn’t entertain her as he kept on drinking on his shot glass, but Clara was just desperate enough as she started tapping his shoulders.

“H-Hey um, please listen,” Clara tried to raise her voice to capture his attention, but he’s too cooped up on drinking his Chivas. Clara shook her head, it’s now or never, she thought.

"P-Please marry me, for the sake of saving me from my aunt and that old geezer, y-you're my only hope," she intertwined her fingers against each other.

That man was so surprised as he stopped from what he heard and gracefully glanced at her. That woman in front of him was dressed in a simple midi white dress and even if he didn’t say anything, his gray glinting eyes were enough to express how enthralled he was by her inexplicable beauty.

But he furrowed his eyebrows, he looked like he's wondering why such a beautiful young woman was asking him to marry her. Is he dreaming, drunk? He thought.

He bitterly smiled because he was just a man who came here simply because he was fooled by a woman who was just after his money.

Another woman that he loved broke his heart, he was getting tired of it, so his attention was captured when Clara mentioned marriage.

No woman dared to ask him that before, so he was amused with what he had heard from this innocent-looking woman on his front.

Clara, on the other hand, almost gulped after seeing the bare face of the beautiful stranger right in front of her, she felt nervous as she felt her palms getting sweaty. She almost thought that she had seen him somewhere.

He’s too intimidating even if he’s just sitting. Clara's thoughts lingered, but she couldn’t help but check out that handsome stranger.

But before that stranger could take in all that she just said, he asked something that he needed some straight answer, "Are you going to break my heart?" he asked in a low, stern voice.

Clara was confused at what he was asking, but Clara immediately shook her head, "N-No, I would never! Just marry me! I'll give everything you ask of me just not to that old geezer!" She almost cried, so that strange handsome man just nodded before swiftly drinking that shot on his glass.

He was content with what he had heard as he stood up and left the counter. Clara thought that she was rejected, so she lowered her head feeling like the heavens and earth were against her escaping the clutches of her aunt.

The stranger stopped and turned around when he noticed that she wasn’t following him, “What are you waiting for? The city hall will close soon, you wanted to get married asap right?” he solemnly asked while raising his eyebrows, so Clara’s eyes widened as she paced towards him.

“Y-You mean to say that you’re accepting my proposal?” Clara’s tone was full of hope, the stranger wanted to laugh because she looked like a lost puppy that’s found it's master.

“I am,” he sparingly replied before giving her a sweet smile. Clara’s eyes gleamed from what she heard, she couldn’t help it as she started crying right in front of him.

The stranger almost panicked when he saw what just happened, “Why are you crying, are you alright?” He immediately took out his handkerchief from Van Heusen, one of the most expensive hankies in the world. He didn’t want such a glamorous woman crying right in front of him.

“I-I just couldn’t help, but be grateful that you accepted me as your bride,” Clara whimpered while accepting the hanky that stranger offered. The stranger was bewildered by this strange woman that just asked his hand for marriage, he couldn’t contain his amusement as he decided to pat her head.

“Well if you are grateful, stop crying, you’re ruining what you worked hard for today,” he firmly ordered, so Clara just sniffed before nodding at him as they swiftly paced out of that club.

“By the way, how did you know that I needed to get married today?” Clara confusingly asked, so the stranger just looked at her intently.

“Forgive my repetitiveness, but didn’t you say you need to get married because you’re being arranged to someone that’s a pervert by your aunt?” the stranger asked while fishing out his car keys in his pockets.

Clara was amazed that this stranger didn’t ask any further questions to be clear, she thought it wasn’t listening to her a while ago, now it looks like he already understands her issue.

“Y-Yes I did, b-but--”

“Then that also means you’re dressed up like you’re ready for the formalities after someone will accept your proposal,” the stranger smirked, so Clara bit her lower lip for a moment before nodding.

“Get in, I’ll call my judge to prepare the papers,” the stranger pointed at the passenger seat, so Clara immediately took out some cash on her bag.

“I could pay to make the process fast,” she nervously suggested, the stranger tilted his head at her before smirking.

“This is my first marriage, at least let me pay, you’re the one who proposed after all,” he winked before gently guiding her to the passenger seat.

To be continued…