ENSNARED BY HIS STRANGE PROPOSAL

Alfred and Carson walked into Mirabel's florist shop to pick a flower for Pearl, Carson's girlfriend. Subsequently, he was entrapped by the simple-looking florist - Mirabel, whom they mistook for a shop attendant. They paid for the flower and left, but Alfred did not leave with his heart - Mirabel stole it and kept it.

“Carson, I think I love that girl,” he confided to him after they got into Carson's car.

“Which girl?” Carson inquired while he fastened his seatbelt.

“The shop attendant,” Alfred made clear.

“There were many shop attendants in the shop, and I would not know which of them you are talking about.”

“The one who helped us with the selection of the flowers.”

“I see. If it is that one that your heart went for, be ready to pick up the pieces of it,” Carson made it clear to him and turned on his engine.

“What do you mean by that, Carson?” the curious Alfred asked him.

“I have heard her stories. She seemed to be married to her job and nothing more. Breaking the heart of her admirers is her stock-in-trade.”

“Oh! That makes the two of us. I'm good at breaking unguarded hearts, too,” Alfred declared proudly and Carson gave him a searching look.

“Are you convinced that you are capable of getting her?” Carson, who had driven off, inquired with concern.

“Certainly,” Alfred assured him.

“Wow! I'm out to watch a live movie,” Carson stated and laughed ecstatically. Alfred laughed too.

Nevertheless, they returned home and mapped out how to get Mirabel and keep her.

“Your idea is good, Carson and if she fails to accept my proposal, I will crush her heart into pieces,” Alfred declared.

“And she would pick up the pieces of her heart instead of you,” Carson pointed out sarcastically, and they laughed the more.

After the surprise birthday for Pearl, Carson took her back to the hostel before he drove off with Alfred. Along the line, he asked him, “Do you wish to return to your hotel or crash with me tonight?”

He waited for his reply while concentrating on the road. To his dismay, Alfred was mute. After a few seconds, he looked at him and found out that he was lost in thought.

“I'm asking, Alfred,” he called his attention.

The startled Alfred recalled himself and asked him “What did you say?”

“Here we are again, Alfred. I thought we had a deal. Why are you lost in thought after you had shared your problem with me?” Carson reprimanded him.

Howbeit, Alfred tilted his head towards him and explained, “It's not what you think, Carson. I wish we could stop over at the florist shop.”

Carson furrowed his brow and asked him, “Stop over? What for?”

Alfred smiled sadly and said, “I wish I knew. If the shop is still open I wish to see her lovely face once again before I retire for the night.”

Now, Carson was relaxed and smiled confidently when he realized that he had overcome the burden that he ran away from and the pursuit of Hazel.

“I'm proud of you, Alfred. You have truly overcome your past."

“Thank you for the compliment,” he appreciated him.

“Why not? We can check on her.”

Instantly, Carson made a detour to the flower shop.

Alfred thought for a while and informed him, “We can begin our plans right away. Or what do you think?”

Carson smiled broadly and declared, “I agree with you. Provided you have rehearsed your lines.”

“Don't bother about that. I'm good to go.”

“It's all right,” Carson agreed and drove on.

Soon, they were in front of the shop. It was a few minutes before 9 PM and Mirabel was still in the shop. Most often, her grandmother would be worried about her health because she would leave for work early and return home late. When she got tired of complaining, she resorted to sending her dinner to her through one of the guards. That night was not an exception. They were not prepared for the two organized troublemakers who stormed their shop.

“Why did you supply me with a bouquet that could not appeal to my woman?” Alfred faced the front desk officer and blurted out.

Nevertheless, many shoppers were doing the last-minute shopping for the day, and such harsh remarks were detrimental to the reputation of the organization. Suddenly, all eyes were on the disgruntled clients, and Mirabel, who was attending to a client, was attracted.

At that point, the front desk officer had butterflies in her stomach but attempted to pacify him, “Kindly calm down, Sir.”

“Calm down? Do you realize how you humiliated him before his woman -just for patronizing you?” Carson added with indignation.

“Kindly excuse me, Sir,” the disturbed Mirabel pleaded with the client she was attending to and took a step.

“It is all right,” the client said and watched her walk on.

He was aware that the organization was good at their work. Having a dissatisfied customer complaining aloud and angrily, was strange.

“Good evening, gentlemen,” she greeted them calmly when she walked up to them.

Just by seeing her face and hearing her voice, Alfred's desire was satiated, but he acted on it.

“I thought you were the best but I was proved wrong this evening. My woman could not even accept my proposal. I lost a relationship of several years.”

Now, Mirabel was completely embarrassed. She recalled that she arranged the flowers for them some hours ago but just realized that there was a mix-up.

“Gentlemen, we can talk it over,” she solicited with a look of defeat.

“Talk it over? What is there to talk about?” Alfred yelled.

“I think there's a mix-up somewhere. The bouquet wasn't for engagement, but for…”

“But for what? How dare you mess my date up?” Alfred barked.

“How can there be a mix-up on a day like this? Huh?” Carson added.

“I apologize once again, gentlemen, for ruining your date. I prepared a bouquet for a birthday,” she explained innocently.

Presently, she was sweating, and it was obvious that she was nervous but Alfred must bring her to a point where she would beg to have an audience with him.

“What the hell has a birthday bouquet got to do with an engagement bouquet? I thought you were an expert and knew better.”

“You are to educate your clients on the use of the flowers and not indulge in an expensive mistake,” Carson pointed out.

Nevertheless, they had made their points clear and she had no choice but to concede defeat, “You are right. If I had educated you, maybe this mix-up would have been averted.”

“That is not acceptable to me. How do I correct the negative impression that I have created before my girl?”

“I apologize.”

"I think I will call for a press conference to point out that the mistake wasn't from me and notify where the mix-up came from.”

At the mention of the press, Mirabel was hysterical because Alfred was a foreigner. Such a publication could jeopardize her position as a law-abiding business owner, and attract the authority to her. Although she was from the Royal Home, she had been operating with a concealed identity. Likewise, she would not want to get involved with anything that would make Irene and her daughters have the last laugh or expose her identity.

Then, she offered, “It has not gotten to that, gentlemen. I will help you correct that if you can come back in the morning. I promise that I will sort it out for you?”

To avoid appearing heartless or inconsiderate and ruin the chances of getting her to love Alfred, Carson played along.

"What time are we talking about tomorrow?” He asked her while Alfred wore a sad face.

“Will 9 AM be all right by you?” She asked innocently, but when she saw Alfred's sad face she fidgeted and corrected herself, “If the time would be too late, we can schedule to meet earlier?”