Thorns Grow After Betrayal (Celeste and Chester) novel Chapter 379

"Right, thank..." Celestine almost said it again out of habit but stopped herself just in time. "We're friends. I'll treat you to dinner next time."

Gideon chuckled. "Okay. I'll be waiting for that dinner."

Though he had yet to receive a single meal she'd promised, he was willing to keep waiting.

***

When Celestine got home that night, she made the final adjustments to Eleanor's wedding dress.

When she submitted the design this time, the client finally didn't reject it.

Celestine breathed a sigh of relief.

The next morning, she received a text from Eleanor inviting her to a café.

"I love the latest version of the design. It's so effortless and free-spirited, free from the constraints of a traditional wedding, but it still has the sanctity of a wedding gown."

Eleanor held Celestine's sketch, showering it with praise.

She had looked at Celestine's previous drafts. They were all beautiful, but she'd had no desire to wear any of them.

No desire meant she didn't like them, so she had rejected them.

"Thank you for your design. I believe I can definitely wear this when I walk down the aisle with the person I love."

Celestine offered her congratulations. "I'm glad you like it. It's a wonderful thing when a creation finds the right owner and is treated with care. I wish you and your loved one a lifetime of happiness and a wonderful marriage."

"Pfft." Eleanor let out a boisterous laugh. "I'll take that good wish. As soon as I win him over, I'll send you the wedding invitation first thing."

Celestine's brain short-circuited for a second. "What?"

"This dress is for me. The man is someone I like, but I'm still pursuing him. However, our families have already met. As long as he agrees, I'll propose to him, and we can get married anytime."

Celestine was stunned by this modern approach.

This was how people got married now?

Ordering a custom wedding dress before you've even secured a groom?

"Miss Eleanor, you certainly have a very unique perspective on love and marriage."

Just as Celestine was about to refuse, Eleanor just smiled, grabbed her purse, and left the restaurant.

Celestine tried to go after her but was stopped by a waiter who came to ask her to settle the bill.

In the end, she had no choice but to accept the gifts.

As Celestine was leaving the coffee shop, she ran into two familiar faces.

Vernon and Cicely Jenson were standing pressed close together, each holding an ice cream cone.

They seemed to be staring in the direction someone had just left, lost in a daze.

"Hi," Celestine said, greeting them first.

The two of them jumped in surprise.

Vernon rubbed his nose awkwardly. "Celestine, what a coincidence. You're here too?"