Falling for the Goddess

No Idea What to Title This

Sara Hart had originally planned to give Adrian a gift for New Year's Eve, but her plans got derailed when Lucas Harris took her home the night before. The gift idea was shelved.

Since Ella Duvall had invited her out, she figured it was the perfect chance to pick out something while they shopped.

When she arrived at Ella's café, she found her best friend propping her chin on her hand at the counter, staring blankly into space.

A handsome young man had just asked for her number, but she barely lifted her eyelids before replying coolly, "Sorry, I have a boyfriend."

The guy looked embarrassed, grabbed his coffee, and quickly left.

Sara slid onto a stool. "Wow, even cute guys can't spark your interest anymore? That one just now wasn't bad at all."

Ella finally looked up. "You're here. What do you want to drink?"

"A flat white."

Sara stirred her coffee with a spoon as she studied Ella. "Why so down?"

Ella sighed. "Your senior brother is impossible. Completely impervious. Not even the slightest progress."

"And on top of that, my mom keeps pushing me to go on blind dates. My life is miserable." She dropped her head onto the table in dramatic despair.

Sara hesitated for a moment before cautiously suggesting, "Honestly, I have no idea what kind of girl Senior Brother likes. He doesn't seem to have any close female friends either."

Then, after some consideration, she asked, "Want to switch targets?"

"No way!" Ella sat up so fast that she startled Sara. "Even if he's a mountain, I'll climb him!"

Sara looked at her for a long moment. "Do you really like him?"

Ella rested her chin on her hand, thinking. "It's more like... a mission. A goal."

Sara nodded. "Alright then. Anyway, he's single, and persistence wears down even the most stubborn rock. And you're stunning—he's bound to fall eventually."

Ella smirked. "Of course."

Sara took a sip of coffee. "But why is Auntie suddenly so eager to set you up?"

"It's my brother's fault! He found a girlfriend, so now my mom's laser focus has shifted to me. She's got too much time on her hands. Why can't she just enjoy shopping and doing spa days with her friends? Why must she meddle in my life?"

"She cares about you."

"You have no idea how weird some of these blind date candidates are." Ella waved her hand, dismissing the topic. "Forget it, let's not ruin my mood."

Then, she grinned. "By the way, I heard about the Blake family's banquet. I had no idea you were a lady from the Harris family."

Sara looked apologetic. "Sorry, Ella. I never told you."

Ella gave her a strange look. "What's there to apologize for? If you didn't want to talk about it, you didn't have to. Even best friends don't have to share everything."

"You're the best, Ella."

"Okay, stop." Ella held up a hand. "You and Adrian finally got your happy ending, and now you're an expert in sweet talk."

"This has nothing to do with him."

"You don't get it. You reek of love. I can smell it from a mile away."

Sara chuckled. "You're exaggerating."

Ella sighed. "That's just my lonely, single heart speaking." She glanced outside. "After days of rain and snow, we finally have a sunny day. Shopping?"