After we finished our meal, Caleb mentioned he was going to take out the trash and asked if I'd like to join him for an after-dinner stroll.

My head was a mess of X-rated daydreams that really that really needed some clearing out.

But as soon as we started our walk—before we could even think about holding hands—his parents, Daniel and Jean, showed up out of the blue.

"Sarah, what are you doing with Kale?"

Kale...what a fun nickname.

Confronted with Daniel and Jean's confused expressions, I suppressed a laugh and quickly racked my brain for an excuse.

After pondering for some time without coming up with a suitable explanation, I simply turned to Caleb and passed the buck to him.

"Your lovely daughter was worried I'd spend the rest of my life alone, so she tried setting me up with her charming friend, Zoe," Caleb said calmly.

Daniel and Jean were taken aback.

They hadn't seen their son in a while and had come to visit.

To their surprise, their son got a girlfriend, and she was someone they knew!

They exchanged glances and quickly disappeared from the scene.

I was left speechless.

-

Caleb offered me a lift home, but I turned him down.

I questioned him, "What was that all about, what you told your parents?"

"Didn't you say something about making this desert bloom with roses?" he asked.

"..."

I really shouldn't trust Zoe!

She showed me the chat logs between her and Caleb and then leaked my words to Caleb, playing the nice guy on both sides!

I threw caution to the wind and admitted, "I did, what's the problem?"

"Nothing," Caleb said, sounding indifferent.

I was getting irritated.

He seemed to know what was going on in my head, but I was in the dark about his thoughts.

I felt defeated in this round as well.

Damn it! I should just say goodbye to him. Maybe the next one would behave better!

But Caleb pulled me back, and to my great surprise, he picked a wildflower and put it in his hair.

He asked me, "Does this count as blossoming?"

I was stunned.

Before I came to my senses, we were under the same blanket, entwined with each other.

He did look after me well, and I was pleased.

Just a bit exhausted, the kind of tired where you're pleasantly sore and basking in it.

"Caleb."

"Hmm?"

"Do you know that I started with just physical attraction?"

The guy had a body that made me want to get close to him the first time I saw him—in a very intimate way.

Caleb took a moment before he whispered back to me, "I know."

I was so tired and sleepy that my words were slurred, "I fished with a bare hook and you still bite?"

He seemed to respond, but I didn't catch it all.

Anyway, the desert bloomed with roses for me, and that was enough.

-

When I showed up in front of Zoe holding Caleb's hand, Zoe just called me Mrs. Wright.

I was in such a blissful state that I didn't even tease her about doing a handstand and washing her hair.

His parents had always adored me and wanted me to join their family.

But my parents didn't like Caleb.

I was shocked!

I was shocked that they didn't like such a wealthy and handsome man!

On top of the fact that I was the one chasing after Caleb from the start, which led them to think he wasn't as into me as I was him, my mom also said, "He's too handsome and too wealthy. We're afraid you won't be able to hold on to him, and the odds of a future change in marital status are high."

I felt speechless.

I told Caleb what my parents had said, and he shared his predicament.

"The business is booming, no bankruptcy on the horizon. As for my face, I can't very well rearrange it to look uglier, can I?"

I nearly died laughing, then threw my arms around him and planted a kiss.

"What do you propose, then?"

"Let me meet with your parents first. Even if I'm facing a death sentence, I deserve a chance to plead my case, don't you think?"

"How about today?"

"You've already talked to your parents?" Caleb asked.

"Nope, I'm going for a surprise attack. We're going in blind."

Caleb was at a loss.

He let out a sigh at his future wife's knack for creating challenges for him.

Caleb wasn't playing around when it came to meeting my parents. He set a date, gave them a heads-up, and then arrived with an armful of gifts, making a grand entrance.

Zoe called me in the midst of the serious conversation they were having.

I felt uneasy about leaving Caleb alone with my parents, but he seemed to have a strategy, so I retreated to my room to take the call.

When I emerged, the sternness on my parents' faces had vanished, replaced by such wide grins it seemed their mouths could stretch from ear to ear.

I was so confused.

Could Caleb have magical powers?

I just took a phone call, and he somehow won over my parents?

After dinner, I hastily pulled Caleb out the door and interrogated him, "What did you do to my parents?"

Caleb chuckled, "What could I possibly do to your parents? Just winning them over, naturally."

"Like what?"

"Demonstrating my commitment to you."

"How?"

No matter how much I flirted or feigned anger, Caleb kept the details to himself.

It was only later, by accident, that I came across a screenshot of a chat between siblings in Zoe's phone gallery.

Caleb: [I have my eye on your friend.]

Zoe: [You know what to do.]

Below that was a notice of a transfer of 100 thousand dollars and a confirmation of the collection.

Zoe: [Sarah's into a sexy physique. I'll find a chance for you two to meet alone. Just remember, no shirt.]

Caleb: [Will I be treated like a scoundrel?]

Zoe: [I'll just create the opportunity. You handle the rest.]

So it turned out that the siblings had dug the trap. I jumped right in and felt happy.

I created a group chat for the three of us. I sent the screenshot and then went silent.

Zoe: [...]

Caleb: [...]

You see, the siblings were really in sync.

I didn't block them or anything. They were free to explain on WhatsApp, but I chose not to respond.

Meanwhile, a colleague at the company was pursuing me with great fervor.