C89 Friendly Rivalries

As they stepped back into the kitchen, Mary and Valeria washed all the vegetables and neatly arranged the ingredients on the counter.

She smiled approvingly. "It seems you two are eager to begin." Mary laughed. "We don't want to waste any time." Valeria nodded in agreement. "We're your students today, after all." Alicia chuckled before tying her apron. "My cooking skills aren't perfect, but learning one or two techniques might help you create dishes your families will never forget."

The two women exchanged excited smiles. Soon, Alicia placed three cooking pots on the stove. She carefully divided every ingredient equally so that each person would have exactly the same amount. "Cooking isn't just about following a recipe," Alicia explained as she chopped vegetables with practiced movements. "It's about understanding why every ingredient is added."

Both Mary and Valeria listened attentively. They even took notes while copying every step Alicia demonstrated. Whenever they made a mistake, Alicia gently corrected them instead of criticizing them. "Lower the heat slightly, Aunt Mary." "The cream should be added a little later, Aunt Valeria." Before long, the kitchen was filled with cheerful laughter and the wonderful aroma of fresh ingredients.

Meanwhile, my shopping trip with Laura was going better than I had imagined. Her slender figure looked beautiful in almost every outfit she tried on. Every few minutes she disappeared into the fitting room before returning in a completely different dress. "What do you think?" she asked for what felt like the tenth time. I smiled. "I think that one suits you the best." She twirled once before laughing. "I knew you'd pick this one." We spent hours browsing different stores, trying on clothes and taking countless photographs together.

Near the end of our shopping trip, an unexpected figure saw us. It was Bright from the Cybersecurity Department. He was walking hand in hand with his own girlfriend. Unknown to me, Bright discreetly snapped a photo just as Laura and I were holding hands while laughing over a jacket she had picked out.

A few seconds later, he sent it to Alex. "Bro, look who I just bumped into." Attached was the picture of Laura and me. Alex replied almost instantly. "Wait... the nerd has a girlfriend?" A moment later another message appeared. And that's definitely not Miss Mooney. Could this be the girl everyone thought he cheated with when Alicia got upset? Bright never replied. He had already put his phone away and was enjoying his own date.

Alex, however, wasn't satisfied. Curiosity got the better of him. He forwarded the picture to another colleague with a simple question. "Do you know the name of Mike's girlfriend?" Within minutes, the photograph had quietly circulated throughout the entire Cybersecurity Department. Fortunately, one person never received it. Josh.

After finishing our shopping, Laura and I decided to have lunch together. Unlike our first meal, the conversation flowed naturally. We had begun to understand each other's personalities much better. "So," Laura asked with a smile, "what was your first impression of me?" I thought for a moment. "I thought you were confident." "And now?" "Now I know you're confident... but also kind." She laughed softly. "I'll take that as a compliment." "It was."

She rested her chin on one hand. "What about you? What do you think I learned about you today?" I smiled awkwardly. "That I'm terrible at shopping?" She burst into laughter. "Very terrible." After a brief pause, her expression softened. "But you're patient." "You listened to every opinion I had." "You never complained." She looked into my eyes. "That means more to me than expensive gifts." I felt strangely warm inside. "I'm glad."

Our shopping date eventually came to an end, but neither of us wanted the day to finish just yet. "How about the beach?" Laura suggested. "I'd love that." The afternoon breeze was refreshing. We walked barefoot along the shoreline, collected seashells, splashed water at one another, and occasionally swam in the cool ocean.

Watching Laura laugh as the waves chased her made me realize just how beautiful she truly was. Her smile wasn't accompanied by dimples like Alicia's, but it had its own charm that was impossible to ignore. As the sun slowly drifted lower, our conversation became more personal. Laura looked toward the horizon.

After a comfortable silence, she quietly asked, "So... are you happy today?" I smiled. "I don't think I've smiled this much in a long time." She stepped a little closer. "I'm happy too." For a brief moment, neither of us spoke. Then she gently leaned forward. I met her halfway, and we shared a tender kiss as the waves rolled onto the shore. We even took a picturr of our kiss. When we finally pulled apart, both of us were smiling. "I guess this makes today unforgettable," Laura whispered. "It certainly does."

As evening approached, we changed into dry clothes and began our journey home. I reminded Laura, "Today we used your phone for taking pictures, please do send them to me as well.

Meanwhile in England, Chris continued attracting curious stares from Sarah's classmates. Many of them still couldn't understand who the mysterious man beside Sarah was. The jealousy only grew stronger as the graduation ceremony continued. Chris ignored every glare directed his way. His attention remained entirely on Sarah. Finally, her name echoed through the auditorium.

As Sarah confidently walked across the stage to receive her degree, Chris stood proudly from his seat. He cheered louder than anyone else. He recorded videos, took dozens of photographs, and applauded until his hands hurt. Sarah couldn't stop smiling.

After the ceremony ended, Chris surprised her once again. "I have another idea." "What is it?" Sarah asked. "It's your graduation day." "Let's make more memories." They spent the next hour taking pictures around the university campus before visiting a nearby park.

By the time they finished, it was already lunchtime. Chris insisted on paying for everything. Sarah looked guilty. "You've already done so much today." Chris smiled reassuringly. "I planned for this." "Today is your day." She finally accepted with a grateful smile.

While eating, Sarah became curious. "When exactly did you arrive in England?" "This morning." Her eyes widened. "So you really didn't know today was my graduation?" Chris shook his head. "It was honestly a coincidence." She couldn't help laughing. "What unbelievable timing."

After another bite, she asked, "Where are you staying?" "I booked a room at the hotel nearby." "What room number?" "Five thirty-seven." She raised an eyebrow. "You even knew the name of my university?" Chris grinned. "It was written on your social media profile." Sarah shook her head in disbelief before smiling. "You really notice everything." After lunch, she stood up. "You've only just arrived, which means you probably haven't unpacked yet." "Come on." "I'll help you organize your luggage." Chris followed her upstairs to his room.

Once inside, he quietly closed the door behind them. Sarah turned around in surprise. Before she could speak, Chris gently kissed her. She smiled into the kiss. As it went deeper her mind went blank. She leaned on Chris,her hands tightly wrapped around his neck. Chris slowly walked towards the bed. After an hour Chris finally let go of Sarah.

Sarah said lazily, "I came here to help you unpack." "You instead tortured me like this." "We still will," Chris replied with a laugh. Sarah stretched out on the bed, exhausted from the excitement of the day and the torture she just experienced. Within minutes, she had fallen asleep.

Chris smiled affectionately as he watched her peaceful expression. Unable to resist, he quietly took a picture of her sleeping and sent it to their group chat. "My day has been wonderful." He waited for a reply but noticed that both Mike and Alicia were offline. Shrugging, he placed his phone on the bedside table and lay down beside it before drifting off to sleep himself.

Back at the Smith residence, the chess competition had become incredibly intense. The scoreboard now read: Quinton 2 - 2 David. Neither man was willing to lose. In the kitchen, Mary and Valeria carefully followed Alicia's instructions until their dishes were finally complete. "I'll check on the competition," Alicia said.

The two women happily followed behind her. When Alicia reached the living room, she studied the chessboard for a few moments before laughing. "If I were playing either of you, this match would've ended several moves ago." Both men looked up. "What do you mean?" David asked. "You've both missed obvious checkmates." The two competitors immediately leaned over the board again, trying to spot what they had overlooked.

Smiling, Alicia returned to her suitcase and removed an elegant handcrafted kettle along with several carefully packaged Scottish herbs. She brewed a fragrant pot of herbal tea before serving everyone. The rich aroma instantly filled the room. David took one sip before his eyes widened. "This is incredible." Quinton quickly finished his entire cup. "I need another one." Mary and Valeria couldn't help laughing as Alicia happily refilled their cups.

Soon, lunch was ready. While the two women admired Alicia preparing dessert with remarkable precision, she quietly came up with one final surprise.

As they carried the dishes into the dining room, Alicia decided to switched the plates. Mary carried Alicia's dish. Valeria carried Mary's. Alicia carried Valeria's. Neither David nor Quinton noticed the exchange.

Both men looked away from the unfinished chessboard and smiled eagerly. The deciding game could wait. First, it was time to judge the meal.