Sarah samules

"Finally, I made it! My dress is finished," Sarah said with excitement. "All I have to do now is call John and ask him out. Oh! I almost forgot—I need to buy accessories to go with my dress." Sarah was quite the designer; she knew how to make dresses and even created ones for her little sisters. It was as if she was a hidden princess behind her spectacles. "I think I know just the store for accessories!" she thought. "Yay! Okay, I'd better finish breakfast. Ooh, I can't wait to call him."

Sarah went downstairs and quickly ate her breakfast. Maddie noticed and joked, "Slow down, piggy!" then laughed. Sarah didn't mind—she was in too good of a mood to let it bother her. She called out, "Mom, I'm done! I'm heading out. Let me know if you need anything; I can pick it up on the way."

Her mom smiled and said, "Enjoy, sweetheart. I'm a bit tied up with my schedule, so have fun." Sarah smiled back, saying, "Okay, bye, Dad! Bye, Mom!" They both replied, "Bye, dear."

"Wow, it's only Saturday, and look at all the people!" Rose commented to Julia. "Well, this shop is famous for accessories, so it's bound to be crowded," Sarah replied happily. "Let's find some accessories!"

"Okay!" said Rose, and they began looking. While everything was nice, nothing seemed to catch Rose's eye until she spotted a set she liked. "Wow, pretty!" she exclaimed, only to hear a girl standing next to her echo the sentiment.

"Oh, hey, Sarah!" Julia interjected, stepping in. She glanced at Rose, hinting, "Take those accessories while I keep her distracted." Turning to Sarah, she asked, "So, what's up?"

"Oh, nothing special," Sarah blushed.

"Ah, getting ready for a date, are we?" Julia teased.

"Not exactly a date, but I really wish! I'm just going to ask him out first," Sarah replied.

"Got it," Julia said slyly. Meanwhile, Rose was at the checkout counter paying for the accessories. Relieved, Julia added, "Sarah, we're in a bit of a hurry. See you later!"

"Okay," Sarah replied. But when she looked down, she noticed the accessories she'd wanted to buy were gone. Frustrated, she muttered, "Ugh, they tricked me! But why would they be shopping? Is she meeting someone? Could it be John? Oh no, I'd better call him now before it's too late!"

Sarah found a quiet corner and dialed John's number. The phone rang, and John answered, "Hello, who's this?"

Her heart raced, and she felt nervous, but she knew it was now or never. If she didn't say something, Rose might take her chance. She finally spoke up, "Hello, John, it's me—Sarah. Sarah Samuels."

"Oh, hello, Sarah! What's up?" John replied.

Not wanting to come on too strong, Sarah asked, "Are you free today?"

Without hesitation, John answered, "I'm sorry, I have to go out somewhere."

Sarah asked bluntly, "Are you meeting someone?"

John, familiar with her from years as classmates, just replied, "I'm going to the bookstore."

"Can I join you?" she asked.

"Sure, why not!" John said, giving her the address. "See you at five, Sarah."

"Yeah, see you at five!" Sarah replied, and he hung up. She felt so elated she nearly jumped, only to remember she was still in the store. She quickly resumed her search, eventually finding a stylish top, pants, earrings, and bracelets that matched her dress. She paid the bill and left the shop. "Now, I just need to get my hair done," she thought.

Meanwhile, Sam was browsing rings in another store when Rupert said, "How many more rings are you going to look at? Just pick one so we can get to practice for the match!"

"Okay, okay!" Sam replied.

"So, are you nervous about proposing to Rose?" Rupert asked.

"A little, but I need to propose before John does," Sam admitted.

Rupert nodded, "Mmm."

It was nearly 5 PM when Sarah arrived at the bookstore, looking stunning. John spotted her and waved with a smile, saying, "Wow, you look beautiful."

Sarah, blushing at his unexpected compliment, replied, "Thank you." They went inside, and John began browsing business books on marketing. Curious, Sarah asked, "Why are you looking at books on business marketing?"

"Oh, I'm taking an Amazon course. I want to be a businessman but haven't decided on my product focus yet. I'm hoping I'll figure it out after the course," John explained.

"What a coincidence! I want to start a business too," Sarah said. "I make my own dresses and plan to sell them online soon. Could you help me?"

"No problem," John replied, smiling. "I'll prepare a schedule, and we can explore ideas together."

Sarah felt like she was in a dream. To her delight, John bought her another book, saying, "This one's on me."

Sarah smiled back, "Thank you!" They left the bookstore, walking together, and John asked, "Are you free tomorrow?"

Sarah, hardly believing her luck, replied, "Yes, I'm free."

"Would you like to go to a restaurant, just to get to know each other better?" John asked.

"Sure," Sarah agreed, still processing her excitement.

John added, "You know, you never told me you live right next to my house."

Stunned, Sarah thought, "What?!"

Back at home, her mom and dad teasingly asked, "So, how did the date go?"

Still in shock, Sarah brushed off their questions, but Maddie laughed at her. Regaining her composure, she asked her mom, "Why didn't you tell me John lives next door?"

Her mom replied, "Oh, I thought you knew, dear."

Maddie chimed in, "So, the guy you've had a crush on since elementary school was right next door? What a pity!"

"Shut up, Maddie!" Sarah retorted, then went to her room, threw herself onto the bed, and hugged a pillow, rolling around with excitement.

Then her phone rang—it was John. "Sarah, I sent you the schedule for our class in an email. Check it out, and let me know if you'd like any changes. The timetable is for evening classes except on Saturdays and Sundays. Saturdays will be a full day, and Sundays a half-day. No rush; it'll just be us."

Floating on cloud nine, Sarah replied, "Oh, yes, I'm here!"

"Don't forget about tomorrow," John reminded her.

Later that evening, Maddie rushed to Sarah's room, breathless. "Sarah! Get dressed, put on something nice, and don't forget lipstick!"

"What? Why?" Sarah asked, confused.

"Just do it!" Maddie insisted.

Figuring it must be about Maddie's boyfriend, Sarah dressed up and went downstairs. To her surprise, John was sitting at the dining table with her family. Her heart raced.

"Oh, there you are, honey!" her mom said. "Come, sit with us." The only seat available was next to John.

John discussed business ideas and mentioned an interest in helping Sarah with her online store. "Thank you so much, Sarah; it means a lot to me," he said with a smile.

"Well, Mr. George, I'll take my leave now," John said.

"Come back anytime, son," her dad replied warmly.

Sarah followed John outside, calling after him, "Why did you come to my home?"

"I… uh… to ask you… for your proposal," John stammered, his heart racing. He quickly added, "Could you wait here a moment?" He returned a minute later, holding a beautiful gown.

"Tomorrow, wear this and come to my home, okay?" he said.

"Okay," Sarah whispered.

He moved closer, his hand brushing her cheek in the cool evening breeze. His gaze dropped to her lips as he murmured, "I never imagined the girl next door could give me chills and make my heart skip a beat. Sarah, I love you."

He kissed her, holding her tightly.