Ashley didn’t have a chance to ask Tanaga what his plan was. He hurriedly walked out of the office, papers in hand.
She quickened her pace, trying to catch up before he had a chance to wonder where she was. As she had agreed earlier, she would be his pretty tail. He abruptly came to a stop and turned around.
Thud! "Ohh," Ashley groaned as her face bumped into Tanaga’s chest, leaving a perfectly-formed red lipstick mark on his light-colored shirt.
"Gosh, why do you keep stopping like that when you’re walking? I always end up bumping into you like this," Ashley said as she stepped back. She reached up and touched her nose, now sensitive and red.
"It’s fine. No harm is done. Come on. If we don’t go now, it won’t only be immigration officers that come for you. They’ll bring the police and take you to jail," Tanaga said, teasing her. He looked away, a broad grin on his face.
The secretaries couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw their stoic CEO smiling that way. Truthfully, they were both incredibly jealous of Ashley. Their glares were piercing. They looked like lionesses hunting for their prey, ready to eat her alive.
Who wouldn’t envy Ashley? This handsome man was considered one of the most eligible bachelors in Japan. He had never laughed or even smiled around his secretaries in all their years working for him. They were both questioning what it was they lacked that this Filipina had. Something about her had attracted their handsome boss to her, and not them.
When Ashley and Tanaga entered the conference room, the three officers were reading the papers laid in front of them. Then they discussed amongst themselves how they would proceed with Ashley’s case.
"Ahem!" Tanaga cleared his throat to get their attention. "Now that you’re finished reading the papers, do you have any further questions?" Tanaga asked in a calm voice that didn’t quite match his solum expression.
The immigration workers exchanged glances before the leader of the investigation spoke.
"According to the information we’ve been given, you came here today to get these documents. And you intend to go to the Philippine Embassy to get married. Is that right?"
"Exactly. The evidence is right in front of you," Tanaga said, pointing to the stack of papers. "What else do you want me to show you? Why don’t you check the requirement list to be sure?"
The trio had nothing to retort. The officers checked the list once more, making sure their documentation was complete.
1] Valid Philippine Passport (original and photocopy) (check)
2] National Statistic Office or NSO Birth Certificate (original and photocopy) (check)
3] A Certificate of No Marriage Record or (CENOMAR) – all names ( First Middle, Last; including mother and father must match the birth certificate (check)
4] DFA Authentication or Red Ribbon of the NSO Certificate (original and photocopy) (check)
5] DFA Authentication or Red Ribbon of CENOMAR (original and photocopy) (check)
6] Three passport-sized photos (check)
7] Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage (check)
8] Application for marriage in Japan (check)
The documents all appeared to be in order. The immigration officers had no valid reason not to believe them. "I’d like to apologize for disturbing you when you’re busy preparing for your wedding. If you’d allow us, we would be happy to stand as witnesses for your marriage." The leader said to Ashley.
In truth, they wanted to go to make sure the marriage was real. The immigration office dealt with these types of cases all the time, many of them turn out to be a sham. They doubted the authenticity of this case more than most. After all, why would a billionaire marry this way? He had ties to some of the most influential people in the country. A big ceremony would have made sense. Going to the embassy, however, made no sense at all. In their minds, it could mean only one thing. This CEO was part of a syndicate that was bringing illegal entrants into Japan. They could easily be made to look like fools if they weren’t vigilant.
They had asked the Filipina, thinking she would refuse their request, afraid to expose the lie. However, Ashley had barely understood what they said. She didn’t reply. Noticing her silence, he glanced over at her. She was dazed. He leaned as if he intended to kiss her cheek, giving him time to whisper, "They’re asking you something. Just nod. I’ll explain it all to you later."
Ashley snapped back to the present. She blushed. To the officers, seeing her blush after Tanaga had leaned over to kiss her cheek made them appear to be a legitimate, sweet couple. For Ashley, there was nothing she could do but follow Tanaga’s instructions. Still not knowing what they’d asked, she looked at the officers and nodded, feeling silly. ’Oh, boy. Why am I nodding? I hope I’m not nodding in agreement to something that could land me in prison.’
The trio of investigators left to make preparations to attend the wedding. They needed to look their best. Tanaga was, after all, one of the wealthiest men in Japan. A couple of them were even hoping to get a photo with him. A selfie with Tanaga Jones could make them famous.
As soon as the officers left, Tanaga let out a big sigh of relief. "Whew! I was afraid they were going to take you away. Thankfully Mrs. Gutieres tipped me off earlier. The syndicate wanted to take you away from me. To them, you’re their most valuable commodity. They wanted you to go to the highest bidder," he explained to Ashley. He proudly thought to himself, Too bad for them; you’re mine now.
Ashley had no idea until now what had been going on today. She stared at Tanaga with admiration and gratitude. She couldn’t believe he had come up with a solution so quickly. Not much time had passed since she first arrived in Japan, yet today, he managed to have the complete papers already.
Wow. What an efficient man! She thought, and at this moment, she saw Tanaga like her knight in shining armor. She was a damsel in distress, and he had saved her. ’So this is what it feels like to be rescued by a handsome knight.’
This new feeling had her heart pounding like a horse at the racetrack, thud, thud, thud.
"Okay, heart, it’s time to stop fantasizing. Slow down." As Ashley tried to reason with her unruly heart, she couldn’t take her eyes off of Tanaga. She was in a reverie.
He noticed her beautiful eyes staring at him, making him wonder what was on her mind. He waved a hand in front of her face. No reaction. He found her ability to space-out this way hilarious. It was an opportunity to tease her. So, Tanaga slowly moved his lips closer to hers, inch by inch, finally allowing them to meet for a brief kiss.
"If you’re done daydreaming, we need to leave now so I can make you Mrs. Jones." With that, he pressed his lips to hers, giving her a real kiss this time. He got up and ran out of the conference room, laughing loudly.