Finding Carla

Chapter 4 - Wave of You

"You're not really going to make new friends if you blast your song like that in the middle of the night. Not to mention your choice of music is, pardon my words, real crap." She chuckled. It seems she's starting to warm up to me. I could see laughter in her eyes and it's a breath of fresh air.

"So, is that a yes? Do you like pasta? I'll cook spaghetti for you. And my fried chicken is to die for. It's my mom's recipe. I already marinated it overnight. You'll love it for sure." I was hopeful she would say yes. I saw a twinkle in her eyes as soon as I said "spaghetti."

"Okay Mr. Country Boy, you win. You had me at spaghetti. The fried chicken will be a bonus of course. I don't usually cook fried chicken; I just order it from restaurants. I've never tasted home cooked fried chicken for a long time." I pumped my fist and said "Yes!" loudly since she finally accepted my offer. She grinned at my reaction.

By this time, we're just a few feet away from the apartment building. It's good I tidied my flat this morning. I don't want it to be an eyesore to her when she sees it momentarily. My fridge is also fully stocked, and I have all the ingredients for my pasta. I can't believe we'll finally be able to talk. Depending on how this night turns out, she may or may not know that she's a Ramirez. I'll let nature take its course.

As soon as we stepped inside my flat, I saw her eyes roam around my pad. It's a one-bedroom apartment. I literally courted the nice lady that was living here. Her name is Mrs. Smith. She's a widow and lives alone with her cat. Her place is perfect because it's across from Carla's apartment. My plan was to spy on Carla and get to know her better. See if she's fit to be a Ramirez before I introduce her to our family.

I still remembered my conversation with Mrs. Smith when I asked her if I could lease her apartment. I said I would give her six months' worth of rent and I'll move her to one of the units in the newly built high rise building across the street which I already bought. I like investing in properties. I learned that from my parents who have a lot of condominiums in different parts of the world. We love traveling and we would buy properties in big cities where we like to visit and where the housing market is good.

So even though I already bought the two-bedroom unit in that condominium complex, I decided it would be better if I lived in the same building as Carla. Definitely, Mrs. Smith could not turn down my offer. I was even the one who hired the movers to help her vacate her apartment easily. In just one day, she was out of her apartment and enjoying the marvelous view from my 25th floor condominium.

"It was nice doing business with you, Mr. Ramirez." She said smiling as I ushered her inside the condominium and gave her the keys.

"I still don't know what your plans are but my best guess, it has something to do with the girl across from my apartment. She's beauty and brains. But she can be a spitfire, so beware!" Mrs. Smith let out a soft chuckle.

"So, you've known her for a long time?" I asked curiously.

"Oh yes. I always see her with her friend, Alecx, the girl that lived there before Carla took over her place. She visits Alecx a lot. They're like sisters. Both are well sought architects here in the city. Actually, Carla is the architect of this lovely condominium that you just purchased. Alecx left and followed her heart. She has a nice love story. I'm nosy so I was able to get all the scoop from Carla." She grinned, then continued talking. She's a non-stop talker and I like her bubbly personality.

"When Carla moved in, it's like nothing has changed. She's also nice, warm and thoughtful like Alecx. But now, I'm smelling that soon, Carla might also have her own love story. If you whisk her away and sweep her off her feet soon, how I wish the next one who will be living in that apartment will be proper ladies like them." She sighed. I turned red on her remark. She would be surprised once she knows that a love story is not possible for the two of us.

She thanked me for the opportunity to live in such a nice condominium. Since I'm not sure until when will I be staying here in the city, I offered her a six-month lease to which she readily agreed. She decided to keep her things in a storage area as my condominium is already well-furnished. I designed it myself and she was amazed at the aesthetics and comfortable furniture that I meticulously picked.

On a side note, her apartment is also well kept. But I want the apartment to look like a neat bachelor's pad. So, I decided to make a few changes to my own taste and liking. I changed the lighting fixtures and made the ambience of the apartment cozy. I'm sure Mrs. Smith will love it when she comes back to her place. I owe her for letting me stay in her apartment so I can do my "mission."

I looked at Carla's reaction while she was examining my pad. I know she's an architect, so I want to impress her with my minimalist design and the new modern light fixtures that I installed by myself.

"You made a few changes in Mrs. Smith's apartment, I could tell. Did you hire someone to design your pad?" She asked curiously while heading towards the kitchen and focused her gaze on the cabinets.

"No, I did it on my own. I also changed the kitchen cabinet colors to light gray and converted the formica countertops to white quartz, so it looks neat. I love to cook so I want it to be nice as I stay here in the kitchen a lot." I replied, taking pride in my design. After all, I'm a Ramirez so I know about art and design just like my Mama Ava and Uncle Amir.

"Nice place. You have good taste. But not in music." She grinned teasingly. She reminded me again of the country music that I played the past couple of nights. I laughed at her remark.

"It seems you hate country music that much. You know, I didn't like it at first, either. But once you come across good country music artists, you'll learn to appreciate it. It is an acquired taste." I explained to her.

"Then, I don't think I will acquire it." She chuckled.

"Okay then! Let's erase your bad notion of country music. You're being unfair. Give it a chance!" I said to her teasingly.

"While I'm cooking in the kitchen, I want you to feel at home. Sit back, relax, and experience the amazing voice of Chris Stapleton." I pressed the play button on my iPad and let my new Wilkins Nautilus speaker fill the room with music. I hope this night turns out as great as what I've envisioned....