Blind date turned proposal (Josie and Dexter)

Josie sat on the beach and hugged her knees while gathering her courage to speak. "Claudia told me that you arranged for the doctor that day. They asked me to... invite you for a meal. Are you free?" Silence prevailed on the other end of the line for a few seconds before Dexter uttered, "They asked you to?"

"Uh, I mean I wanted to invite you out for a meal!"

After Josie spoke, her courage seemed to abandon her. She waited anxiously for a response from the other end. She thought she heard a soft laugh from the other side, and instantly, her face flushed a deep shade of red.

"Forget about it."

She was about to hang up.

"Where?" Dexter asked.

"What?"

"Where are we having our meal?"

Josie's lips swiftly curled up. "I'll send you the exact location. How does tomorrow night sound?"

Dexter gently hummed in agreement.

After ending the call, Josie suddenly realized that her palms were drenched in sweat, and her heart was still pounding intensely. She stared at the waves in a daze, wondering why she was feeling this way. Why was I so anxious? Why did I suddenly become so concerned about his response?

Two years ago, Mark suffered a severe setback that greatly affected his health. After he fainted this time, the doctor insisted that he needed complete rest and should not worry about any affairs. Claudia had even made a special effort to bring the bird they kept at home to the hospital. The birdcage was hung by the window to entertain Mark.

Josie was seated on the sofa, peeling an apple while staring blankly at the bird in the cage.

"Excuse me... Is Mr. Olsen here?"

A voice echoed from the entrance, drawing everyone's attention. To their surprise, they saw Juliette peeking in, her arms laden with various items. Her eyes, full of grace and kindness, reflected her good intentions.

"Juliette? What brings you here?" Josie asked in surprise, quickly getting up.

Upon seeing her, Juliette finally breathed a sigh of relief. She entered the room, first greeting Claudia and Mark with a nod before answering, "I heard Mr. Olsen was hospitalized, so I came to visit him." As she got closer, Mark recognized her and put down the newspaper he was holding. "Ah, you're Logan's daughter. It's been a while, Julie."

"Yeah. The last time I saw you, you were just this tall!"

Juliette was a social butterfly, never shy in social settings. Josie pursed her lips, instinctively retreating to the guest area to sit down and brew some tea for her.

"How has your father's health been in recent years? I haven't seen him in quite a while."

"Everything's fine. He's been talking about you too. He often brings up the stories of when you two were starting your business in Wavery during your younger days."

As one aged, reminiscing about the past always brought a certain zest. Overwhelmed by this sentiment, Mark couldn't help but engage her in a hearty conversation about the good old days. "Here." The tea was ready, and Josie handed a cup to Juliette.

Juliette took the slightly warm cup in her hands, her gaze falling on the arrangement of utensils on the tea tray. Suddenly, she paused.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing. I just suddenly noticed that your tea-brewing habit is quite similar to a friend of mine."

Josie stiffened momentarily, then forced a smile.

Upon seeing the situation, Mark's enthusiasm for the conversation subconsciously waned. "If it weren't for Leanne, I'm afraid it would have been difficult to see you again."

Juliette quickly responded, "It was my oversight. I truly owe a debt of gratitude to you for having such a wonderful daughter, Mr. Olsen. From the start to the completion of the project, she has given so much. One could say she covered all bases and was of great help to me."

With just a few words, she had managed to completely charm and distract Mark.

Josie savored the tea she had brewed herself, a sweet aftertaste lingering in her mouth.

When Juliette made to leave, Josie saw her out.

"Why did you bother to come yourself? Sorry to have troubled you."

"Rumors were flying all over the place outside. After the project handover, you never returned to the company. I was worried about you, so I came to check on you."