Games at the masquerade ball

Pittsburgh, United States.

Inside a building, a nature-themed wedding party is beautifully and peacefully decorated with fresh flowers and green plants that create a natural atmosphere and blend with the surrounding environment.

Guests came to enjoy the natural ambiance inside the building. They could sit at tables adorned with flowers or on chairs placed around the hall. The fresh air and aroma of the flowers made the atmosphere even more pleasant. The bride and groom entered the building with excitement and happiness, walking down the aisle decorated with fresh flowers while romantic music played in the background.

Bill and Steffi sat on chairs with other guests, enjoying delicious cuisine consisting of various American, Italian, and French specialties, along with drinks served in glass bottles and beautiful glasses.

Bill glanced at Steffi, who looked beautiful in the dress he bought for her, while he wore a black tuxedo complementing his white shirt and pants. It was a requirement from the wedding party as they were going to have a masquerade after the reception.

"Do you like a wedding party with a theme like this?" he asked.

"Yes, I love it," Steffi replied calmly, but there was no smile on her face as she remembered her failed relationship with Liam, with whom she had planned to get married. "If only Liam hadn't cheated, maybe he and I would have been the newlyweds like them," she thought, staring at the bride and groom dance to the music of Shania Twain's song titled "From This Moment."

"Just so you know, they are a couple who haven't been together for long," Bill whispered.

"Really?"

"Yeah..." Bill shrugged, then put his arm around the back of Steffi's chair. "Actually, this wedding is like an arranged marriage, but they agreed to learn to love each other... because they are both single. They gave themselves a chance to learn to love, learn to accept... and now look at them, they look like they have been in love for a long time."

Steffi watched the newlyweds dance and gaze at each other with a smile, and it made her wonder if she could be as happy as they were if she married Bill.

"They inspire me so much... I now believe that love can come from being together," Bill said, glancing at Steffi, who was also looking at him. "I hope we can be like them," he continued.

Steffi remained silent but nodded slowly.

Bill went back to enjoying the meal in front of him.

After the bride and groom finished their first dance, some dancers accompanied them, and the event changed into a masquerade party guided by the host. Thirty male guests aged 20 to 40 were expected to gather, each wearing the same mask, while thirty girls, including Steffi, remained seated.

"Hi, ladies and gentlemen. This time we are going to have a partner-finding party!" said the Host, speaking into the microphone. He was a man in a black suit and gold eye mask, accompanied by a female host who wearing a golden red eye mask.

"The men over there are all wearing the same suit and mask. You, ladies, have to choose one of them as your partner to dance with later!" said the female host enthusiastically. "I know You don't want your partner to dance with another woman, so you have to recognize your partner as soon as possible!"

Almost everyone in the ballroom applauded.

"Okay, this will be a lot of fun because the men over there can't reveal their identity before being chosen, or they will be disqualified!" said the male host, smiling.

"But if you feel you've chosen the wrong partner, you still have to dance. But don't fight with your real partner when you get home. This is just a game to liven up the party."

"Okay, Olivia, let's start now!" said the male host, turning to the red curtain, which slowly opened to reveal a row of men wearing the same black eye mask. "Beautiful girls, you can choose your man, now!"

"Yeah, good luck to all of you!" the female host shouted.

Steffi and the other girls stood up and approached the random line of men, each separated by a meter. They walked slowly to the music of George Benson's song "Masquerade."

Bill was silent, hoping Steffi would approach him because he wanted to be chosen and dance with her.

"Steffi, if you choose me, I will propose to you tonight...I won't have any doubts," he thought, glancing at Steffi, who was standing in front of another man.

"Hi..."

Bill turned his attention to the girl who greeted him with a teasing smile. He remained silent with a flat gaze, not wanting her to choose him as it would prevent him from having a chance to dance with Steffi.

"I came here without a partner, so don't worry when I choose you. Nobody will be upset," said the girl, casually walking around Bill and even touching his shoulder.

'Oh, damn. I don't want you, I just want my girlfriend!' Bill thought, glancing at some girls who had already chosen masked men and taken them to the dance hall. He saw Steffi was still choosing and wanted to shout to let her know he was here. 'But if she knows I'm here, will she choose me?'

Steffi stood in front of a man with a physique similar to Bill's. She looked around, her eyes fixed on a girl approaching the man with a similar physique to Bill's too.

'Could that be Bill?' she thought, looking back at the man in front of her who smiled at her, revealing his braces. "Uh...He's not Bill!"

Steffi immediately approached another man who was being approached by another girl. She was sure it was Bill and didn't want him to be chosen by someone else.

"If he's taken by someone else, then I have to choose someone else and dance with him. What if he's a pervert, disrespectful, or even harasses me?" Steffi said to herself, then grabbed the hand of the man she suspected was Bill.

"Hey, you're stealing him from me!" the other girl said.

"No, I didn't take him from you. You haven't chosen him!" Steffi replied firmly.

"But I've been here since earlier!" the girl gripped the man's right hand. "I have the right to choose him!"

"Hey!" Steffi scowled. "If you were going to choose him, you should have taken him there!" she pointed towards the participant who had already chosen the man.

"I almost chose him, took him there, but suddenly you took him from me!"

"Alright then..." Steffi released her grip on the man's hand. "Now let him choose!"

The girl fell silent, releasing her grip on the man's hand. She glared at Steffi, feeling that she had ruined her plan to get a new crush.

Bill fell silent, holding back a smile on his lips because, in the end, Steffi argued just to get him.

"Hey, you. You have to choose who you like between us!" Steffi exclaimed, crossing her arms.

The girl remained silent.

Before the host realized the chaos, Bill immediately grabbed Steffi's right hand and smiled at her.

"Alright..." Steffi smiled, looking at the girl. "Now you see, he chose me. He's probably my boyfriend, so he chose me for sure. You better find another man... Make sure he doesn't have a girlfriend!"

The girl remained silent with frustration and quickly left.

Steffi immediately took the man who was likely Bill to the dance hall.

Bill remained silent with a happy smile, as Steffi acknowledged him as her boyfriend even though he hadn't revealed his identity yet. Hmm, does this mean that he will propose to her tonight?