My fingers were sticky from the dough as I kneaded my hands through. Kaning stirred the frosting mixture while Gorya went and found a box to hold the cookies in. The three of us were working on Gorya's meaningful gift for Thyme while Glakao munched on the chips I bought for him in the living room; immersed in a tv drama

"I'm done with the cookie dough," I said as I looked at my creation.

Kaning shot me a thumbs up and I yelled, "Gorya! Help me mold them! We can't be doing all the work for your boyfriend's birthday gift!"

Gorya descended the steps from the second floor, waving the box–wrapped in the white and gold striped present paper, "He's not my boyfriend." I cast a knowing look with Kaning as Gorya evaded the topic, "Anyway, I wrapped the box, is it cute?" I took the box from her hands and inspected it, "It's nice, add some kind of rope to tie it as a bow." Gorya nodded and Kaning said, "I'm done with the frosting, let me help with the cookies."

I set the bowl in the middle of the counter and we all got to work, rolling the sweet dough in small circles. We spread them throughout the parchment paper on the baking tray, my fingers sticking to the dough. "Do you know what you're wearing for tomorrow?", I asked.

"I did have this beautiful dress. It was from P'Tia. But, last night Glakao spilled sauce all over it." Gorya rolled up a tissue and threw it at his head, "I'm still mad about it."

Glakao zipped around to look at us and whined, "Sorry, ok? Let me be." Gorya rolled her eyes and I suggested, "Do you want to borrow one of my dresses?"

She sighed, "Thank you, friend, but I took it to the laundromat to get it cleaned, it was so expensive for a simple stain."

I went back to rolling as she continued, "But, thankfully someone offered a loan for me."

"Oh yeah? Who was it?", I asked as I rolled another. She shrugged, "He was just a random guy, he didn't tell me who he was."

Kaning and I shared a glance between us as I said, "That's weird." Gorya responded, "Maybe it was just a fleeting moment...I don't know he was nice and he helped me and made sure I wasn't scammed for my money."

I suggested, "I could've had your dress cleaned, Aunt Cel would be glad to do it." Gorya smiled as she set two circles of cookies on the tray, "Thanks friend, but I don't want to be indebted to you." I rolled my eyes and groaned, "You won't be indebted to me. I swear Gorya, you need to let us help you."

Gorya looked at Kaning for help but she shrugged and placed the tray inside the oven. I wiped my hands with a towel and set aside, "So...will you let me help you get ready for tonight?"

...

Glakao and Gorya's shared room became a hurricane in just a few minutes. Makeup bags on Gorya's bed, straighteners and curling irons on the floor, and our dresses (steamed and prepped) hung on the door. I carefully walked around the items I'd brought as Gorya blended her foundation and Kaning watched as we got ready. I sat next to Gorya as I looked at Kaning, "Are you sure you don't want to come with us?"

Kaning shook her head, "Dad wouldn't let me, and I wasn't invited."

I bat my hand, "You could've been Gorya's plus one. I'm Ren's."

Gorya blended her foundation with her fingers as she asked me, "Why aren't you going with Ren? Shouldn't you two show up as a couple since..you know...you're engaged?"

I touched the curlers on my hair to ensure it was in place as I answered, "Oh we are. He's our escort to Thyme's party." Gorya nodded as Kaning hiked her legs up onto Glakao's bed and sat crisscrossed as she watched us. "How are you and Ren?", Kaning asked.

I took my blush compact out of my bag and smiled as I looked in the mirror, "I would say it's going well. He bought me earrings, I'm wearing them for tonight" Kaning and Gorya stopped to take a closer look and Kaning said, "They're beautiful."

"And...and I kissed him," I said in a low volume. Both the girls screamed as I laughed at them. Gorya gasped, "Finally! How did it feel?" I shrugged and continued blending my blush on top of my contour, "I'm not telling."

"Don't hide the most important information!", Gorya whined as Kaning nodded in solidarity. I rolled my eyes as I asked, "How are you and Thyme...hmm?" Kaning and I watched as Gorya scoffed, "You're not changing the topic on me?"

I nodded, "I am changing the topic to you."

She sighed as she placed the powder and said, "Ok, we were outside. And we stood as we waited for the clock to strike 24:00, and I said 'Happy Birthday". She smiled and went back to look in the mirror. My eyebrow quirked as I said, "Anddddd?"

"And nothing. We said good night and went to sleep."

Our shoulders slumped as I went back to doing my makeup. "Hey Nova, could you help me with my eyeshadow and hair?", Gorya asked. I nodded, "Maybe Kaning can do your hair, she's better at it than I am."

Gorya looked at Kaning as she asked, "Could you do our hair?" Kaning nodded enthusiastically as she stood up with a curling iron, "I'd be happy too."

...

Kaning brushed my curls as I adjusted my dress. It was a creme satin midi dress with a cowl neckline and thin spaghetti straps. The dress fit my curves in all the right places as I smoothed my hands over the skirt. I turned and showed my dress to Kaning, "What do you think?" Glakao turned from the TV and gapped, a few chips falling out of his mouth.

Her eyes sparkled as she looked at her friend, "It's beautiful." Gorya shortly came out of her room and we all turned to see her in her navy blue with a high neckline and a pretty bow designed to cover the seams. I gushed, "You look so pretty, friend!" Kaning nodded in agreement as we giggled in excitement. My phone dinged with a message and I read it was from Ren: Hey love, I'm outside. Kaning handed Gorya's cookies to her and I asked, "Are you ready? Ren's outside." Gorya nodded, "I'm ready! Let's go."

"Bye Glakao!", I waved as Glakao still sat on the floor, speechless. We walked out to the front gate and Kaning opened it for us and my eyes settled on Ren. He had a black tailored suit with a creme button-down to match my dress. I beamed and he smiled at me as he held out his arms. I went to hug him tightly as he pressed a kiss on my cheek, "You look beautiful my love. Those earrings and the dress look so good on you." I leaned back and smiled, "Thank you. You clean up well yourself." He winked before I let go and he nods to my friends, "Hi Kaning, Hi Gorya. You look nice."

Gorya smiled as she held the box of cookies in front of her, "Thank you P'Ren." Ren then opened the passenger door for me and helped me sit in his car, my heels making it a challenge to gain some footing. He went to open Gorya's door as well and I rolled down the window, "Kaning, are you sure you don't want us to drop you off?" Kaning shook her head, "I'll stay with Glakao for a bit, my dad is coming to pick me up." I threw a thumbs-up as Ren made his way to the driver's seat. Gorya and I waved at Kaning as Ren drove off, Kaning waving back at us with a smile.

In thirty minutes, we arrived at the gates. The front garden was full of people, tables spread about, and fairy lights were designed on trees and plants. A security guard came towards our car and Ren rolled down his window. "Good evening sir, invitation?", the guard asked. I gave Ren our invitation and the guard nodded before shouting orders to let us in. As Ren slowly drove I looked behind to see a nervous Gorya, "It'll be fun. Loosen up a bit."

Gorya rolled her eyes, "Easy for you to say, you're used to these parties...I'm not." Ren looked at Gorya from the rearview mirror, "It's ok we won't let you be alone. The guys are here as well." I nodded and Gorya swallowed nervously as she said, "Ok."

Ren parked and a guard came to open our doors for us. They each helped us walk out and he told me, "Ms. Sansithorn, you are expected to walk down the red carpet with Mr. Aira." I looked at Ren as he shrugged, I asked the guard, "Will there be interviews? I wish for no interviews." The guard nodded and went for his walkie-talkie to talk to his associates. Gorya walked next to me as we approached the front of the red carpet by the entrance of Thyme's house. By the end of the carpet, we see the gift table and a few socialites taking pictures as well as giving interviews. Gorya whispered, "Do all the guests have to walk the carpet?"

Ren assured her, "You don't have to. You can take your invitation to the guard and enter through the rope." He pointed at the guard by the side and Gorya nodded, "I'll go there." I looked at her gift and asked, "Do you want us to drop off your gift?" She shook her head and said, "I want to be able to give it to him myself."

I winked and she waved, "I'll see you guys when you're done." I nodded and Ren offered his arm. I queasily smiled as I snaked my arm with his, he whispered in my ear, "We'll just take a few photos is all." I nodded firmly as an assistant shouted, "Ren Aira and Nova Sansithorn! No interviews please!" She showed a card with our names and I forced my feet to walk with Ren on the carpet.

Immediately I heard:

"Over here, Mr. Aira!"

"Gorgeous couple!"

'Please look to your right!"

"Please look here!"

I tried my best not to squint my eyes from the flashes but, Ren looked like a natural as I glanced at him. His smile was dazzling but even more with the bright lighting and camera flashes.
"Yes! Would you please look at each other!", a photographer shouted. Ren's eyes met mine and held it like it was the first time he saw me. I felt my heart warm as he smiled with his sweet lips, his eyes comforting the anxiety I felt. He bowed his head as he said, "You're beautiful." I softly laughed, "You've said that already." I felt like I heard a million more clicks from cameras, and more paps shouting commands. His eyes soften, "And I'll say it a million times more."

My cheeks blushed as I hid my flustered face from him, photographers were in a frenzy as they yelled and shouted. But that didn't matter, I looked up at my friend, my fiance, my lover and lost any sense of mind. He's completely bewitched me. A woman touched my back and I turned and looked to hear her say, "You two may step off the carpet." I smiled as Ren led me to the end of the carpet, a few people giving us compliments as we walked past. I whispered a lot of 'thank yous' and appreciations as Ren led us to the gift table, already filled with gifts for Thyme.

My eyes widened as I asked, "This is all for Thyme?" Ren placed our gift on the table as he nodded, "Yeah, he gives the ones he doesn't like to me so I can donate to charities and sell some to raise money for organizations. Someone always buys him a car like a Mercedes or a BMW. He ends up returning it."

"A car?!"

He nodded as he motioned to the tables in the garden, "Do you want to find them?" I nodded and he led me to MJ and Kavin who talked to Gorya it seemed. Kavin dressed in a similar fashion to Ren but had an immaculate scarf that loosely hung from his neck. MJ had a silk-patterned dress shirt, covered by his black blazer. Kavin whistled as we walked closer, "Now that is a dress!" My eyebrows raised as he walked closer to me and Ren, he whispered, "If things go south with you and him...why don't we...you know?"

He wiggled his brows as I laughed in his face and showed my ring to him, "'I'm engaged and quite content with my fiance." He clutched his hand to his heart and cried, "How could this be?" I rolled my eyes as Ren let go of my arm so I could give a hug to MJ. MJ said, "Ignore him, he's an idiot. You look gorgeous by the way." I smiled as I said, "Thank you, P'MJ."

Gorya smiled as Kavin said to me, "She doesn't want to go to Thyme. She's scared to." I pointed toward her gift, "I thought you wanted to give your gift to him personally?" Gorya walked toward me and sighed, "I do, I just don't want to bother him." I shot Kavin a look as he folds up his sleeves, "All right." Gorya slowly backed away from him as he walked towards her, "What are you doing?"

Kavin hoists her up on his shoulder, and she screams in surprise, Thyme looks towards us, and we all wave. She shyly waves at him before smacking Kavin's back, "Put me down. You're embarrassing me." Thyme makes his way to us as Kavin brings her down, Gorya almost stumbles to the ground but, Thyme manages to catch her. I whispered, "Kavin! Careful!" He shrugged at me and walks to stand with MJ, who looks at him with amusement and disappointment. I hid my smile with my hand, watching my best friend and Thyme talk in hushed voices. Gorya places the box of cookies behind her, hiding them from Thyme. Thyme whispers, leaning closer to her as they talked. Ren pulls me closer to him by placing a hand on his waist. I whispered, "I want to hear what they're saying." Gorya looks away from him, her cheeks blushing. Ren teased, "And ruin the moment? Don't do that."

I was about to counter his statement when a mic turns on with a little screech. We all looked towards the red-carpeted stairs of the Paramaanantra mansion. Roslyn, Thyme's mother, appeared at the top of it and said, "Good evening everyone." She stood in the middle of the stairs behind a grand red sign that notes: Thyme Amira Paramaanantra's BIRTHDAY: 12.06.21.

Roslyn continued, "The Paramanaantra family welcomes everyone who honors us with their presence at Thyme's birthday party. And I am pleased to meet the special guests... every one of them." Roslyn casts a glance our way and I suspect it was towards Gorya, I looked at Gorya and saw her stone face watching Roslyn as she spoke. Did they talk before?

Roslyn looked away as she continued, "But this year is even more special. There is a special family who came to our event for the first time. They are the Empiccas." Everyone whispers amongst themselves and claps as a light shines on a man and woman standing at a table in the middle of the lawn. I tilted my head to gain a closer look as Thyme and the rest of them do.

"You all know that the EPC Group is renowned in the business scene. And I..."

Roslyn pauses as a girl runs across the decoration and plants, toppling people and tables trying to get away from two guards. She pushed bushes to block the men from catching her. Roslyn began again, "And I'm ready to support new blood in this industry. For a closer, stronger relationship between our two families." My eyes widened as I met Ren's shocked expression. The mysterious girl, dressed in an expressive, colorful dress with white sneakers continues to run through the crowd, a few guests stumbling away as she ran.

"I am very pleased to inform everyone that..." The guard swings his arm towards her as Thyme evades from getting hit. She ends up pushing Gorya to the ground. I as well as everyone gasped as they were instantly separated. Gorya's box of cookies got smooshed in between them as Gorya sat up and the girl nervously smiled at her.

"...this girl is Lita, Lalita Empicca. And she is engaged to Thyme," Roslyn says, delivering her final blow. I shockingly looked at Gorya as the cameras began flashing at our group. I watched Thyme yell, "Mom!" And Gorya still lay on the ground with Lita, speechless. This is starting to get interesting. 

...

Note:

More drama ensues...

Every week new people are tuning in (I'm so happy about), and I am so appreciative of your engagement with voting and commenting. I hope you enjoy this new chapter and I can't wait to show you a little bit of Thyme and Gorya's story while still keeping a heavy emphasis on Ren and Nova's story. Thank you so much you guys for reading!

PS. BTW Thank you for using the conversations tab! I will likely respond there quicker than within the chapters!