Dora Calderon, a housekeeper for successful Los Angeles architect Peter Farrell, receives a letter from immigration threatening her with deportation. After exhausting all other possibilities (and after prodding from his two children), Peter marries Dora so she may remain in the country.
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Taking a suggestion from his coworkers and boss, Peter decides to prepare a will. He runs into trouble when he decides to leave custody of his children to his flighty sister-in-law Janine instead of his ""wife"" Dora.
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Dora is treated to dinner for her first birthday as a ""legal"" American citizen. When they return home, she receives a call from the Department of Immigration with the news that she and Peter must be interviewed to prove their marriage is valid. After exchanging information about each other, Peter and Dora go to the immigration office, only to find that they will be interviewed separately.
Peter goes on his first ""date"" since his marriage to Dora with an attractive client. The date turns out to be a disaster, with Dora running interference throughout the dinner and then Peter finally realizing that he cannot cheat on the institute of marriage.
Peter is furious with Dora after she and Marisol take the children to see a rock concert in a Latin nightclub. He has preconceived notions about the club and becomes unable to trust Dora. Dora storms out of the house and Peter follows her to the aforementioned nightclub, where he sees the error of jumping to preconceived conclusions.
Mr. Lennox asks Peter to find a date to accompany him to a business party. After running out of options, Peter asks Dora to be Mr. Lennox's date. Despite the age difference, they find they enjoy each other's company, although Mr. Lennox starts falling in love with Dora.
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Dora's mother arrives with the news that she's leaving her husband of 35 years due to an affair he had with a young model in a tire store calendar. He arrives later and begs her forgiveness. As they leave for Las Vegas for a second honeymoon, Dora tries out a sexy stare that she learned from her mother on Peter, hinting that there may be more to their marriage than just convenience.
Peter's mother arrives and, upon hearing of his marriage to Dora, has a heart attack. Upon her recovery, she claims to have received psychic powers and predicts their marriage will not last.
A college friend offers Peter the chance of a lifetime: two years helping design and plan new infrastructure for a city in the Middle East. Peter is torn between taking the offer and leaving Dora and his family behind for two years.