The Baller and The Nurse

"I have another idea."

"Oh, tell me. Please. I can't wait to hear this one."

"Before I return to Spain, I am going to sell your Cadillac, pay off the note, and give you the money. I am going to transfer my car to you. I can't take it back to Spain, you know."

Yesenia's eyes widened.

"Do you mean the white Mercedes we took to dinner?"

"Yes."

"Really? I don't believe you."

"It's true. You can have the Mercedes when I leave, and you can use the cash from the Cadillac to find somewhere to live."

Yesenia turned her back toward him.

"I don't want your fucking car."

"What do you want, Yesenia? I'm leaving in two months. I want to do something to help you out before I go."

"What if I don't want you to leave?"

"I don't have a choice. My contract requires me to be in Madrid in two months."

"What if I want to go with you?"

"Then you will make me the happiest man in New York. You will need to get a passport and apply for a visa. You will have just enough time if you start the process tomorrow."

"Fuck you."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Fuck. You. Do I have to spell I it out for you?"

"Yesenia, I don't understand."

"You don't understand? I don't understand why you're playing this game with me. If it would make you so happy, why in the hell didn't you just ask me to go with you, instead of planning to pay me off like I'm some kind of whore?"

"That's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?"

"Yesenia, I didn't plan to fall in love with you, but it just happened. It's not possible for me to stay, so I want to do whatever I can to make you happy before I go. I didn't think you would drop everything and go with me to Spain, so I didn't ask."

"Of course, I have no home, no car, and an almost-making-ends-meet job. How could I possibly leave all this behind?"

"What about your family?"

"Have you heard me even mention any family? And even if I did, what makes you think that my mama wouldn't be happy for me?"

"I don't know. I just assumed they would want you close by."

"Maybe we're not that kind of family."

"I didn't think of that."

"Or maybe you already have my replacement waiting for you in Madrid?"

"Finding a woman to warm my bed is never a problem. Finding one to share my life is a different matter altogether."

"Are you asking me to go with you?"

"Yes, I guess you could say that."

"You don't sound too convincing. I think you just want me to keep you company for two more months."

"Yesenia, I love you, and I want you to return home with me."

"I'll give it some thought."

Sergio's face twisted in confusion.

"Are you thinking that you would rather have my automobile?"

"Fuck you! I don't need your damn car. Asshole."

"I'm confused. Do you want to come with me or do you want the Mercedes?"

"Oh, I get a choice now? Let me ask you something, Sr. de la Cruz. When were you planning to ask me? Did you think you could just pack me up in your luggage on a moment's notice and I'm expected to just drop everything and fly off to Spain with you? Is that it? Is it? Is that what you were thinking? Why don't you just make all my decisions for me? You know what? I don't have to fly off to mother fucking Europe for that. I've got that right here. God damned Russell thought he could make all my decisions for me, and we can both see how that worked out. Is that what you want? Are you just another Russell?"

"Yesenia..."

"Go on."

"I am truly sorry that I have not completely thought through all of the particulars. This has all happened rather quickly, you know. I wasn't expecting to fall in love with you. It just happened. I didn't even realize it until this morning. When I first saw you in the park, I was fascinated by your beauty. I started to recognize that you were a special woman when we fucked on the balcony, and after yesterday in front of the maid I couldn't stop thinking about you. But it wasn't until I this morning that I understood the depths of my feelings. When I saw you battered and vulnerable, but still fighting--that's when I felt my heart ache for you.

"Since I have fallen in love with you, I have had to revise some of my plans. I don't know all of the details, yet, but I do know three things. Number one, I love you. Number two, I must leave in sixty days. Number three, I want you to come with me. The next step is up to you. If you are going to come with me, then there are things that you must do before you can leave."

"Do you really want me to join you?"

"Yes, I do."

Yesenia wiped her eyes.

"Alright. I've made my decision."

"And?"

"I have to be to work in five hours, and I think I want you to make love to me one more time before I go in. After we're finished, I'll tell you. Are you up to it?"

"I think the better question is whether you will be up to working after I am through with you."

"There's only one way to find out."

"Indeed."

* * * *

I want to give special thanks to my beta reader, Etaski, whose ideas and suggestions were of tremendous assistance.