Chapter Twelve
True to his character, Hunter took off from his hectic schedule and announced that he was taking his new bride to Paris for a week-long honeymoon.
Noelle was introduced to a city famous for being a global fashion mecca. Hunter lavished her with designer clothes that she had only dreamt about in the past.
“Enough already. I have three suitcases full of clothes.”
Hunter smiled as he sweet-talked her on taking another one.
“You’ll need clothes once I am elected into office. I won’t have my wife looking like a frump. What would people think of me?”
It was always about what people would think or say. But that was the very essence of their marriage. Noelle shrugged the gloomy thought aside.
“Have you heard the results of the latest survey?” She asked curiously
The survey was a poll conducted by a private corporation to gauge the likeability of the senatorial aspirants. It gave the candidates an idea about the pulse of the masses.
“Yup. Guess who’s topping the list?” he answered smugly.
Noelle squealed in delight. So she didn’t fuss when Hunter indicated to the sales lady that they were taking two more designer dresses along with them. She was just so happy for him.
He brought her to famous restaurants like Ducasse’s whose three-star Michelin rating became Noelle’s secret envy. He wasn’t averse to bringing her to quaint out-of-the-way places, too, where Noelle learned about authentic Parisian cuisine.
They spent a whole afternoon at The Louvre admiring the works of the masters like the Mona Lisa and Venus De Milo. He took her dancing to the Moulin Rouge. Their last night in Paris was capped with a romantic dinner at the top of the Eiffel Tower that gave a fantastic view of the city.
Noelle couldn't have asked for more. It was with a heavy heart that she said goodbye to a memorable week as she stepped into the plush interior of his Gulfstream.
To her displeasure, he immediately fired up his Mac and went straight to work.
***
“You seem famished,” Miranda noted as Noelle spooned another mouthful of lasagna. Miranda was trying her hand at Italian cooking and was adamant that Noelle be the first to try her creation. If she approved, they would slowly add more to the café's menu. To Noelle's surprise, it was delicious.
“It’s really good,” Noelle mumbled between bites.
“So…spill the beans. How’s married life treating you?” Miranda asked, basking in Noelle’s approval of her new dish.
“Ohhh,” Noelle swooned, “It’s everything I expected, being married to someone like him. Hunter is…Hunter is…” She couldn’t find the right words to describe the way she felt.
“I get it.” Miranda beamed. “I’m so happy for you. You deserve a man like that even if you initially doubted the world he lives in.”
“I know. And I will always be grateful. He’s like my knight in shining armor, you know. Marrying him solved whatever problems I’ve had all these years.”
“Problems? What problems?” Miranda asked curiously.
“I never mentioned it before because I didn’t know what to do about it. But here, let me show you.”
Noelle rummaged in her purse and waved a small booklet.
“My passport,” she announced. “I am now a legal citizen of the United States.”
Miranda blanched.
“I know. Isn’t it crazy? I’ve been living in this country for so long and it took marrying him to finally make it all legit. You don’t know how much I’ve carried that burden all my life. I was always afraid of being deported back to Italy where I was born and lose everything I’ve worked for. Now I never have to worry about that ever again.”
Noelle never mentioned this to Miranda in the past and proceeded to tell her the whole story about how her mom died without filing all the necessary papers for her citizenship because she always intended to go back to Italy and find Noelle’s dad.
Miranda looked stricken. She couldn’t say a word. Noelle misunderstood her reaction.
“I know I should have told you earlier because you work for me. If I suddenly closed shop back then, I realize now you would be affected, too. Don’t worry. You’re safe now. Everything’s fine. Your job is safe with me.”
“I’ve got something in the oven,” Miranda announced abruptly and left her.
Noelle was surprised at Miranda’s reaction. It made her even guiltier about not telling Miranda everything right from the start. Miranda’s job meant the world to her and she realized that now.
She took another mouthful of lasagna and closed her eyes, savoring the delicious concoction. Her appetite seemed to have increased tremendously. She attributed it to stress. The campaign period would be in a month. She already dreaded being away from Hunter during the campaign period.
Two hours passed and she felt pangs of hunger once again. She just ate all of Miranda's lasagna. She had no right to be this ravenous. Her tummy felt strange, like she had acid reflux which made her think she needed food.
The feeling was a familiar one. It happened years back when she was pregnant with Nikko. The constant craving for food was excessive. Shit. The memory stopped her in her tracks. She couldn’t be. Could she? The last time she and Hunter had sex was back in Paris.
Noelle felt chills run up and down her body. It certainly wasn't a good time and they had never talked about having a baby.