Forty-five minutes later, Aurora was bursting through Candace's front door.
"Candace! You will not believe it!" Aurora squealed, kicking off her sneakers.
Candace, who was sitting on her living room rug surrounded by fabric swatches for her upcoming design she was working on, dropped her measuring tape in complete shock.
Walking over to Aurora, her eyes widened "Oh my god, look at your face! You're glowing!
Candace immediately reached out, touching Aurora's face with both hands and tilting it left to right for a proper view.
"Spill it right now!" Candace exclaimed.
Before Aurora could answer, Candace grabbed her by the arm and practically dragged her over to the couch.
Tucking her legs up onto the cushions, Aurora took a deep breath. "So..."
...
For the next hour, the living room was filled with dramatic gasps, high-pitched squeals, and endless giggles. Aurora detailed every single second of their time—from the elegant dinner at The Grand Reserve to the unexpected surprise at the beach.
She described falling asleep on Felix's shoulder, and the intense, breathless moment he whispered "look at me" right before kissing her.
Aurora had turned into a full-blown tomato by the time she finished narrating the whole thing.
"I knew it!" Candace screamed, clutching a velvet fabric swatch to her chest like a tragic romantic heroine.
"A beach kiss under the stars??"
"Aurora, that is literally out of a movie! He is totally smitten!"
"He's really sweet, Candace," Aurora admitted, a soft, permanent blush returning to her cheeks.
"It just felt so easy to talk to him." Aurora stared into space for a second, falling for him all over again just by repeating the words.
Watching her bestie look so completely in love, Candace sighed, her expression softening.
"You guys make me want to believe in love again," she said with a slightly bitter, nostalgic laugh.
"That's exactly why you should give love another chance," Aurora smiled warmly, sliding over to hug Candace's shoulders.
"Mm... no." Candace pointed firmly to the messy mountain of fabric swatches around her and the design models cluttering the coffee table.
"I'm trying to go pro here, my darling. No distractions."
" Yeah agreed" Aurora stretched her legs to relax on the couch.
"I'm actually really glad you decided to take the leap and start your own fashion house."
"I'm glad too," Candace sighed, leaning her head back. "I mean, I was just whiling away the hours at my old firm, barely getting any credit for my work, you know? It's just... I'm terrified that I might have given my former boss my absolute best work before I left."
"Hey." Aurora sat up straight, kicking in to cheer her friend up. "I know you, Candace. Your next creation is always bigger, bolder, and greater. There is no way you gave him your best. So giddy up!
"Yeah?" Candace smiled, looking up hopefully.
"Yes. Absolutely," Aurora assured her with complete confidence.
"But—"
"No buts," Aurora shushed her playfully.
"Fine!" Candace rolled her eyes in defeat, a genuine smile finally breaking across her lips.
Moving the conversation to much lighter topics, the heavy corporate stress melted away, and the room filled with laughter once again.
...
Many hours later, the dimming light outside prompted Aurora to glance down at time on her phone.
She gasped aloud.
"Oh no, look at the time! I have to rush home."
"You have extra clothes here, you could just sleep over," Candace offered, not wanting her to leave just yet.
"I wish I could, but I didn't bring my work laptop," Aurora shared, her shoulders slumping.
"I have a massive board meeting tomorrow morning, and I desperately need to revise some project documents tonight."
"Okay then. I guess I also need to jump back into what I was working on anyway," Candace said, standing up.
...
Five minutes flew by, but Aurora was still sitting completely frozen on the couch.
"What? Not going anymore?" Candace inquired, raising an eyebrow.
"No... I am just processing," Aurora answered softly. She kept her head down, staring blankly at her bare feet.
"My life is a total buzzkill, isn't it?"
Candace paused. Not wanting to make her feel bad, she offered a gentle smile. "Umm, I mean... you were great this week!"
"Girl, I was on an official vacation!" Aurora retorted, letting out a frustrated laugh.
"Well, it was still something, wasn't it?" Candace joked, scratching her head.
"Besides, I'm not complaining, am I?"
"Yeah, I know. I'm not complaining either, but... now with Felix..." Aurora trailed off, the sudden weight of her demanding schedule making her anxious.
How was she supposed to balance a high-end architectural firm and a budding romance?
Candace walked over and grabbed her hands.
"Look, girl. If anyone can balance an empire and a hot boyfriend, it's you, okay? You will find a way."
Candace pumped her fist in the air. "'Hwaiting!'"
Hearing the sudden K-drama cheer, Aurora burst out laughing, the heavy tension instantly breaking.
"Speaking Korean now..? Next thing I know, you'll be falling in love with a rich, mysterious CEO."
"Leave me be, please!" Candace laughed loudly, pulling Aurora up from the couch.
She began playfully dragging her toward the front door.
"Now, Miss CEO, get out of my house and go get ready to show those board members that you are still the boss!"
"I'm going, I'm going!"
"Byee! Love you!" Candace shooed her out into the cool evening air.
Slamming the front door shut, Candace let out a long, exhausted sigh.
She looked back at her mountain of design work, suddenly feeling far too tired to go on.
Abandoning the fabric swatches, she turned off the living room lights and headed straight up to her bedroom to sleep.