Call Clara to share your exciting news about the engagement while David pays the bill.

As David excuses himself to settle the bill at the front of the restaurant, you find yourself alone on the private balcony, the newly placed ring catching the candlelight with each tiny movement of your hand. The weight of it feels strange yet perfect, like it was always meant to be there. With a giddy smile, you pull out your phone and dial Clara's number.

She answers on the second ring, her voice bright against what sounds like a busy background. "Mia! I was just thinking about you! How was dinner at that fancy place?"

"Clara," you whisper, your voice trembling with excitement, "you're not going to believe what just happened."

"Oh my god," she gasps immediately, somehow intuiting the news before you even say it. "He didn't!"

"He did!" You hold the phone away from your ear as Clara's shriek of delight pierces through. "David proposed! I'm engaged!"

"I KNEW IT!" Clara's voice is so loud you have to pull the phone away again. "The way he was looking at you on the beach yesterday—I told Ryan, didn't I? I said to him, 'that man is going to put a ring on it before the week is out.' Show me! Video call right now!"

You switch to video and angle your hand toward the camera, the emerald and diamond ring glittering in the low light.

"Holy shit, Mia," Clara breathes, her face filling the screen. She's wearing a silky bathrobe, her dark hair piled atop her head in a messy bun. "That's vintage, isn't it? God, it's gorgeous. Emerald is so you."

"It matches the bracelet he gave me yesterday," you say, angling the camera to show both pieces together.

"This is insane," Clara says, grinning broadly. "You two have been dancing around each other for what, months now? And then bam, one weekend in Brighton and he's down on one knee. Ryan owes me twenty quid—he said David would wait until Christmas."

The fabricated timeline feels so natural that you nod along, memories of months of flirtation with David feeling as real as the ring on your finger. "I wasn't expecting it at all. I mean, I hoped, but..."

"Bullshit," Clara laughs. "Your Pinterest board is nothing but wedding dresses and honeymoon destinations. You've been manifesting this since the day Matt introduced you two."

You laugh, the false memory sliding into place effortlessly—Matt's gallery opening, the first time you locked eyes with David across the room, the immediate chemistry. "Maybe."

"So when's the wedding? Please tell me I'm maid of honor. I look fantastic in literally any color."

"Of course you are," you say, watching through the balcony doors as David finishes paying. "I should go—he's coming back."

"Call me tomorrow with ALL the details," Clara insists. "And Mia? I'm so happy for you. You two are perfect together."

As you end the call, David steps back onto the balcony, his smile widening when he sees the expression on your face. "I take it you told Clara?"

"How did you know?"

"The entire restaurant probably heard her screaming through your phone," he chuckles, pulling you up from your chair and into his arms. His lips brush your temple as he whispers, "Ready to go home, future Mrs. Reynolds?"

The way he says it sends a delicious shiver through your body. "More than ready," you reply, pressing yourself against him in a way that makes his breath catch.

20:00 | Tuesday 5 August 2025 | The Lobster Pot, London

Enhancement Credits Allocated: 56/56

Enhancements Activating at Midnight:

Creative Director Career Package

Culinary Skill Acquisition

Social Circle Expansion

Perfect Wife Mode (Special Enhancement)