In a cafe in the bustling heart of the capital, Maggie Miller sat down to get a clear look at the man she was meeting for a date, and she was slightly taken aback.
He was unexpectedly handsome—surprisingly so!
His features were impeccably chiseled, and he exuded an air of elegant privilege that seemed to come naturally to him.
This was Maggie's tenth blind date in nearly three months.
Unable to avoid it, she had to show up, or else her mother would threaten to go on a hunger strike or worse.
The man she was currently on a blind date with surpassed any of the previous men she’d met by miles, especially in the looks department.
Having been on the prowl for a marriage partner this many times, Maggie wasn't shy. She got straight to the point, "When do you plan on getting married?"
Before she arrived, Maggie had decided that as long as the man wasn't a complete disappointment, she would skip the dating process and head straight for marriage.
Wasn't the purpose of a date to find a marriage partner anyway?
Her mother's constant threats to hurt herself could only be assuaged by Maggie settling down at last.
The man was momentarily taken aback, then he laughed, "Miss, this is our first meeting, don't you think you're a bit in a hurry?"
His smile was particularly charming, like the warm sunshine of a March day, and Maggie, being particularly affected by good looks, nearly stumbled into fangirl territory.
Maggie gathered her composure and said, "Oh, right, I almost forgot to introduce myself. I'm Maggie Miller. The dating agency must have told you about me. I'm twenty-five, a freelancer who runs a small jewelry stall in the night market. My income is roughly around six thousand, just my mother and I at home, reliant on each other. I've had a relationship before but am currently single, healthy, and have no bad habits."
After a brief pause, Maggie added with emphasis, "And I am ready to get married at any time."
Maggie had been practically coerced by her mother into going on this blind date, and the man sitting across from her was found by her mother through an online dating service.
She had expected yet another weirdo with unpleasant looks or a big age gap, a beer belly, and incompatible values—the type all too common on dating websites.
Contrary to these expectations, it was a rare occurrence to meet someone who actually looked decent.
Once Maggie finished her quick rundown, the man seemed to grasp the situation.
He smirked slightly, his voice smooth as silk, "So, how did the matchmaking site describe me to you? Aren't you worried about encountering a fraud?"
"Marriage is quite a gamble," Maggie replied, pursing her lips. "This is my tenth attempt at matchmaking. They told me you work for a publicly-traded company, Visionary Futures Group, that you're from around here, an orphan, down-to-earth, hard-working, and in a hurry to find a spouse—your last name... Florez..."
The moment Florez was mentioned, Maggie's mind had already wandered elsewhere.
As she left her house earlier, her mother had attempted to fill her in on the details of her blind date, but Maggie hadn't really listened.
"Fiorello Flores," the man said with a warm smile, "born and bred in the capital, no house but owns a car, rents an apartment, drives a modest Chevrolet worth just over twenty thousand, a stable income, presently single, no addictions, and in good health."
Maggie Miller presented her identification card, looked at Fiorello, and said, "Mr. Flores, would you be willing to go to the marriage registry office with me right now to get a marriage certificate? I can support myself, I won't spend your money, we can split costs, and no need for a wedding ceremony—let's just keep it simple and get the license."
After all, what was more practical than sharing a life together? This was just to appease her mother initially. As for everything else, they would take it one step at a time. If they were truly compatible, then they would just continue on.
Many of Maggie Miller's friends had married through blind dates, and most of them were doing exceptionally well.
Simplicity, she believed, was the essence of true happiness.
Fiorello tapped his fingers absentmindedly on the back of his hand, pondering her proposition.
This woman came to a blind date with her identification card, so eager to marry off herself?
He was thirty already and the pressure from his family to settle down was intense.
"Do you mind that I don't own a house? With me, life might be a bit rough," Fiorello questioned.
"I don't have a house either," Maggie said confidently. "Without parental support, it's rare for someone to afford a house by thirty. I understand that. As long as you're decent and hardworking, everything will work out."
Maggie knew all too well about the capital's steep real estate prices. Just an average citizen without much backing or grand acumen, she had no right to demand a house from someone else.
Maggie kept her eyes on Fiorello and after about fifteen seconds, she saw him pull out his phone and make a call, "Could you please bring my identification card to the marriage registry office?"
...
An hour later.
Maggie and Fiorello stepped out from the marriage registry office, marriage licenses in hand. Maggie was only then hit by the realization of her own impulsiveness.
She had actually married a man she had only met once.
Fiorello caught the look in her eyes and his lips curled slightly, "If you're having second thoughts, it's not too late to back out now."
Maggie tucked the marriage certificate away and looked up at him, shaking her head resolutely, "No regrets, Mr. Flores. You've probably got work, and I need to set up my stall, so I should get going."
They had just gotten a marriage certificate, and now they were parting ways?
Did this woman really think she was just out to pick up a piece of paper?
Get the certificate and then go back to their separate lives?