A week later, Mike stood in front of the luxurious store, staring at the large, glowing sign under the streetlights. He then turned to Lara with a dramatic sigh.
"Are you sure we need this? I mean... can't I just wear my usual suit?"
Lara laughed as she grabbed his hand and pulled him inside.
"No, darling. Our engagement deserves something special. Now, be a good partner and help me pick."
They entered the store, and what started as a simple shopping trip quickly turned into a fashion disaster.
Mike, who had suddenly decided he was a "fashion expert," began picking out dresses for Lara—but his taste was... catastrophic. Holding up a shiny green dress full of ruffles, he beamed:
"How about this one? I think you'd look like a princess from a fairytale!"
Lara stared at him in disbelief before bursting into laughter.
"A princess?! Mike, that dress looks like a walking Christmas tree!"
Still playing along, she grabbed a suit covered in pink floral patterns and waved it at him.
"Well, if I'm a tree, you're wearing this! We'll be the most elegant couple at the party!"
Mike looked at the suit, then at her, then put on a mock-serious face:
"This is betrayal. You're sacrificing me now!"
Between the laughter and bizarre choices, Lara finally found her perfect dress—a classy wine-red gown with soft lines hugging her silhouette, sheer sleeves, and delicate silver embroidery. Elegant and simple, just like she wanted.
As for Mike—after Lara put an end to his chaotic fashion attempts—he settled on a dark gray suit, with one special touch: a wine-red tie that perfectly matched Lara's dress. As if they had always been meant to complement one another.
They stood in front of the large mirror, admiring their reflections. Mike turned to her with a warm smile.
"You know? I think I have the most beautiful partner in the world."
Lara felt her cheeks flush, but she covered it with her usual sass.
"And I think I have the most stubborn partner in the world... but at least he's handsome today."
Mike laughed, then suddenly pulled her close and whispered:
"I'm lucky to have you, Lara."
She smiled, squeezing his hand gently, then whispered with a grin:
"And I'm lucky you didn't buy me that green dress!"
They burst out laughing, before continuing their preparations for the big night... their engagement!
Meanwhile, while Mike and Lara were causing chaos at the boutique, it was up to Emma and Victor, along with Jacob and Camila, to handle the venue setup.
The four of them stood in the spacious event hall, each assigned a specific task—at least, in theory.
Emma, trying to coordinate the decorations, stood with her hands on her hips.
"Okay, everything must be perfect. No room for mistakes!"
Victor, tying ribbons across the walls, turned to her with a smirk.
"Oh, now we're in no-mistakes mode? Because I recall you almost knocking over a chandelier five minutes ago."
Emma's cheeks flushed slightly.
"I wasn't going to knock it over! I was testing its stability."
Jacob laughed as he glanced at Camila, who was arranging the tables but seemed distracted. He walked over and whispered:
"Something on your mind?"
Camila smiled softly, placing a hand on her stomach.
"I don't know... I feel more excited than I thought about this party. Maybe because we haven't celebrated anything in a while."
Jacob gently squeezed her hand.
"I think we need moments like these—especially before all our parties turn into baby showers."
Camila chuckled, but before she could reply, Emma's voice rang out:
"Victor! That ribbon needs to be straight!"
Victor raised an eyebrow coolly.
"Emma, it's a ribbon—not a building blueprint!"
Emma took a deep breath, trying not to laugh.
"Okay, fine... as long as everything is going smoothly."
As if fate wanted to challenge her, a loud crash suddenly echoed through the hall. They all turned to see Jacob staring at a collapsed table, the result of a tiny mistake.
There was a moment of silence... before Emma started laughing. Then Victor joined in, and even Camila couldn't hold back her giggles.
Jacob looked at all of them and sighed in defeat:
"Well, at least it wasn't the chandelier this time."
Laughter filled the room once again, before everyone rushed back to fix the mess and make sure everything would be perfect by the time Mike and Lara returned.
⸻
To be continued...
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