CHAPTER 1 THE PROPOSAL

I stared at my mother, my mind reeling in horror. "A blind date?" I repeated, trying to keep my tone neutral.

My mother nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, dear! I've already set it up. You're going to love him."

I felt a wave of panic wash over me. I had been dreading this moment for weeks. My mother had been nagging me to start dating again, and I knew she wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Mom, I don't want to go on a blind date," I said, trying to reason with her.

But my mother was undeterred. "Nonsense, dear! You need to get out there and meet new people. You're not getting any younger."

I rolled my eyes, feeling a surge of frustration. My mother had always been a bit of a meddler, but this was taking it to a whole new level.

Just then, my best friend Alex walked into the room, a concerned look on his face. "Hey, what's going on?" he asked, noticing the tension between my mother and me.

My mother smiled brightly. "I was just setting up a blind date for Sam."

Alex's eyes widened in surprise. "A blind date?" he repeated.

I nodded glumly. "Yeah. Mom's trying to set me up with some guy."

Alex chuckled. "Well, maybe it'll be fun," he said, trying to reassure me.

But I knew better. I had been on plenty of blind dates before, and they had all been disasters.

As my mother continued to extol the virtues of blind dating, I turned to Alex and whispered, "Help me."

Alex grinned mischievously. "Don't worry, I've got an idea."

And with that, he turned to my mother and said, "Actually, Mrs. Jenkins, Sam doesn't need a blind date. She's already engaged."

My mother's eyes widened in shock. "Engaged?" she repeated.

Alex nodded. "Yes. To me."

I stared at Alex, my mind reeling in shock. What was he doing?

But as I looked into his eyes, I saw a glimmer of mischief and a hint of a plan.

And suddenly, I knew exactly what he was doing.

He was saving me from my mother's meddling.

And he was proposing a fake engagement.

I smiled, feeling a surge of gratitude towards Alex.

"Congratulations, dear!" my mother exclaimed, beaming with excitement.

As we hugged and exchanged congratulations, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. I had dodged the blind date bullet, and I had Alex to thank for it.

But as we pulled back and looked at each other, I saw a flicker of uncertainty in Alex's eyes.

"What have we just gotten ourselves into?" he whispered.

I grinned, feeling a sense of excitement and trepidation.

"I have no idea," I said. "But I'm glad we're in this together."

As we laughed and hugged again, I knew that this fake engagement was going to be an adventure.

But little did I know, it would also be a journey of self-discovery and love.

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