14 days with my love

14 Days With My Love

Chapter One: The First Day Since Forever

Clara arrived at the airport around 9 am. She just had a tiring 13-hour flight, yet she didn’t feel tired at all ✈️. She felt excited because she had been waiting for this moment for a long time now. It’s been two years since she last saw Michael. Her phone beeps; she looks at the screen. It’s a message from Michael: "Waiting outside for you, love 😍😘."

She felt the blood rush to her cheeks. A smile followed as she felt her heart beating in her throat. She has been dating Michael for five years now. They met through an online forum for dog lovers 🐶. She posted a picture of her brown French standard poodle, Mudsy, on the forum. Michael liked the picture and started a conversation in the comment section. They immediately got along; after that, he sent her a message. They exchanged numbers and chatted for a year. One August afternoon, she received a message from Michael.

He was going to be in Denver for the next two weeks, and he wanted to meet her. His trip to Denver was due to his work as a Business Consultant at one of Beijing’s top consultancy bureaus. He was working on a project and needed to attract investors for an Asian technology giant. She didn’t dig too deep into it. He seemed to always be secretive about his work—something she could understand, as she assumed it was all a part of his trade. She still remembers that first night they met as if it were only a few moments ago.

It was a Friday evening; she took the day off and took the time to pamper herself before her date 💄. They met at a café. She wore a gorgeous red dress that hugged her curves. Michael looked really handsome in his blue-black suit. You could tell that he was a man who took care of himself. His entire posture radiated confidence. That evening became an unforgettable night for her. She instantly felt a strong connection with Michael. In those two weeks, she felt as if no one could understand her as well as Michael could. The feelings were mutual; Michael called her almost every day. He made her feel loved despite the distance between them. They spoke of a future together and the many happy moments that they would share.

Eleven months ago, Michael revisited Denver to finalize details for the consultancy that employed him. He was supposed to stay for a week, but he arranged with his superior to take two months' leave and return to Beijing after the two months were over. In those two months, Michael lived with her, and every day felt special. Clara felt like she was in heaven ✨. It was something about the way he spoke to her, the way he held her. Every moment with him was a magical experience. Even when Michael returned to Beijing, he always managed to find time for her. As time passed, it became even more obvious that Michael had stolen her heart. She became restless as she counted the days until they would meet again.

Nine months later, she walked outside Beijing's airport gates and noticed Michael standing there with red roses and chocolate in his hands 🌹.

"Clara, love, I am so happy to see you! It felt like forever since we last saw each other."

Clara let go of her red luggage and received his gifts as he hugged her. "Michael, my darling, it did indeed seem like forever."

"I have missed you so much. Will you give me the first kiss in forever?"

Michael gave Clara a sweet, loving kiss on her lips. "Let me help you with your luggage. I couldn’t find a parking space close by, but don’t worry, it’s not too long a walk from here. I figured we’d go to my apartment first; that way, you can freshen up. After that, I will take you to dinner. You can have anything you want. As long as I finally have my Clara by my side, I am happy."

"You always know what to say to make me feel special." He grabbed hold of her hand and left a kiss on it. Clara turned red, for she felt happy as well.

She was happy to share more of these moments with the romantic, handsome, and intelligent man walking beside her. She felt as if she was the luckiest woman alive 🥂. It was still hard for her to believe that someone like her could meet someone like Michael. Not everyone back home was happy with her decision to stay with Michael in Beijing for six months. But she didn't care, because she knew that he made her happy. As long as she was happy, that was all that mattered. She didn’t get to experience that feeling all too often in her life. She remembered longing for a love like this—to have someone who gave her as much in return as she gave.

Her sister, Jessica, strongly opposed it. She could understand her concern; after all, living with a man for six months in a city you know nothing about isn't a decision that one should take overnight. But they didn't know Michael the way she did. She had to promise her family that she would contact them every day, and if they didn't hear from her every 48 hours, they threatened to contact the authorities. Clara could understand her family’s concerns and anxiety.

Since the moment she arrived, she immediately felt safe with Michael. When she was in Denver, she didn't even feel this safe. That was because when she was with Michael, she felt comfortable; she felt like she could be herself. They arrived at Michael's car.

"This is my ride. What do you think?"

"Wow, that’s beautiful! You never told me you drove a car like this?" She looked at the beautiful luxury car in front of her 🏎️. "You must easily pick up a lot of beautiful women in Beijing."

"The only beautiful woman I want to pick up right now is right here with me," Michael said as he wrapped his arms around her. Suddenly, a man grabbed Clara's bag from her hand. She screamed out of shock.

"Calm down, that is my driver, Bao."

Clara regained her posture as she fixed her hair. "Sorry to startle you, ma'am, that was not my intention. My name is Bao, and I am Mr. Michael's driver. Welcome to Beijing, may I take your luggage?"

"That is very nice of you, Bao. My name is Clara, nice to meet you."

"Bao, could you drive us to my apartment first? The young lady needs to freshen up after her long flight."

"As you wish, Mister Michael." Bao took Clara’s baggage as Michael helped escort her into the car.

An hour later, they arrived at their destination. Michael stepped out of the car,r and Bao opened the door for Clara.

"Madam, I hope you enjoy your stay here. If you need to go anywhere, you can always request my services."

Clara looked at the big building in front of her. "Thank you, Bao. I am happy that I can at least count on you."

She expected to see an apartment complex, but instead, she noticed that they were standing right at the door of a 5-star hotel 🏨. "Michael, are we at the right address, or is it a walk from here?"

Michael laughed. "Just follow me." He grabbed her hand.

Before he took two steps forward, she stopped. "But wait, what about my luggage?"

"Don't worry about that. Bao will have the concierge send it up to the penthouse."

He continued to lead her along. As they walked into the lobby, Michael was greeted by the staff. They headed into a private lift that took them all the way up to the penthouse. When the lift door opened, Clara was immediately impressed by the modern interior design. They entered a living room space.

"You have a beautiful place! It’s much better than my apartment back in Denver."

"Yes, but we made so many beautiful memories in your apartment. Now it’s time to make some beautiful memories here in Beijing. I can't wait to show you around and to let you meet my family."

"I'm supposed to meet your family?"

"Yes, I told my mother and sisters about you. They are all very excited to meet you and have invited you over to dinner on Saturday—that is, if you want to attend."

Clara stared into Michael’s eyes. "Of course,e I would like to meet your family. Can we talk about it later over dinner? Because the first thing I need to do now is to take a shower."

"Sure, but first, let me give you a proper tour!"

Michael swept Clara off her feet. She burst out in giggles, and Michael lovingly smiled back at her. "This is the living room area that you have already seen." He carried her through another door. "This is the office space."

"Your office space is bigger than my bedroom! You must work a lot."

"Yes, I have been accused of being a workaholic before, but let’s continue with the tour."

He kept carrying her in his strong arms. "This is the sad part, where I have to let you go for a while... because we are about to enter the master bedroom."

He put her down,n and Clara stepped into the master bedroom. There were rose petals on the floor, and the entire room was decorated with flowers. A bottle of champagne alongside chocolate-covered strawberries had already been set aside by the staff on a platter 🍓🍾. A big teddy bear and a gift bag lay in the middle of the bed. Above the big bed, there were helium balloons that said Welcome, Clara.

"You really went all out! Is this all for me? Michael, you didn't have to. It wasn't necessary because I am already happy just being with you."

"Darling, I did it because I wanted to. You showed me your hospitality in Denver; now it’s time for me to show you mine, the Beijing way."

"You are too kind, and you make me feel loved."

"Aren't you going to open up your present?"

"After I take a shower!"

"Go right ahead. The master bathroom is to the left, and your baggage should be in the living area any moment now. Do you want me to get it for you?"

"If you could, I’d love that." He gave her a kiss on the lips; she leaned into him, not wanting to let go. "I'll be right back!"

She took a closer look around her. Michael really put a lot of thought into this. She could already tell that these days would be unforgettable—just as all the other days she shared with Michael were. Her luggage was placed into a master walk-in closet. She started unpacking; there was so much space in this closet that there was no way she would be able to fill it. Even all the clothes, shoes, and bags she had back in Denver wouldn't be enough. She sent her sister and her parents a message to let them know that she had arrived safely and that Michael was giving her the royal treatment 👑. This way, they wouldn't have to worry about her.

Her mom called, and they spoke for a while. She assured her that she was doing well and even informed her that Michael wanted her to meet his family. "This boy seems to be really serious about you. But be careful and stay in touch," were the last words her mother said on the phone before she hung up.

It was a long day and an even longer flight. Tired yet happy, she headed towards the tub and took a relaxing soak 🛁. The only thing she could think about right now was how happy she felt to be here. Despite being exhausted, she was still glowing with happiness. It felt good to finally be in the same country with the man she had come to love so much.

She never thought this would be possible, especially after all her past experiences. Having someone like Michael in her life was a different kind of refreshing. She never met someone who cared for her the way he did. These last months, she had been constantly longing for him. Now that she was finally here, she would make use of every moment they had together.

It was a good thing that she was allowed to work from anywhere in the world. As a software engineer, all she needed was her laptop and the internet 💻. She works for a game-developing tech company that isn't picky about these things. As long as she meets her deadlines, she won't have a problem. If she could, she would stay with Michael for at least a year. He originally wanted her to stay longer, but she had to go back to make it in time for her best friend Blaire’s wedding. If she didn't make it back on time, Blaire would hang her! After all, being a maid of honor is a responsibility of its own. But for now, she planned to enjoy every day of the coming months with Michael.

Don't forget to subscribe for more free stories.😉Ready for the next chapter? The romance continues in Beijing! Will the meeting with the family go as smoothly as Clara hopes? ✨

👉 Click here to read Chapter 2: "Meeting the Family