Defying Fate: The Unstoppable Eileen



Egbert flipped the card closed and then opened the two boxes before him. A sleek black tuxedo and a pristine white wedding gown with a flowing train were revealed.

Eileen's face twitched as she gazed at the dress, her muscles contorting with a mix of surprise and annoyance. She shuffled over and grabbed the box containing the tuxedo, hugging it to herself. "How about I wear this one instead?"

Egbert just stared at her, speechless.

Seeing Egbert's silent refusal, Eileen reluctantly unfolded the wedding dress to take a closer look. The train of the dress was so long, it could double as a carpet!

"This is just too much," she complained.

Egbert said nothing, instead he pulled out another card from beneath the layers in the box.

Eileen leaned in to see it was a business card from a bridal photography studio.

The following day, at nine sharp, Egbert drove Eileen to the studio. It seemed the whole place had been booked by the reality show crew, devoid of any other clients, just a dedicated photographer and staff waiting for them.

The photographer greeted them with a smile and a portfolio, saying, "You can have a look at the styles we offer. We can do traditional, vintage, romantic, collegiate, chic- you name it."

Eileen's eyes brightened. "Can we do composite photos, too?"

The photographer and Egbert shared a look.

Eileen continued, "You know, just photoshop our heads onto a nice wedding picture, and..."

Before she could finish, Egbert pinched her lips shut, turning her head to meet his gaze.

Mumbling through the pinch, Eileen's words were muffled and incoherent.

Finally letting go, Egbert asked, "So, which style do you want to try?"

"Fine, let's choose," Eileen said, flipping through the album. But then she stopped short. "Are all of these kissing shots?"

The photographer explained with a smile, "That's our specialty. We believe in capturing the sweetness of a couple's kiss, a moment that symbolizes love and longevity."novelbin

"Aren't there any without kissing?" Eileen asked, slightly exasperated.

The photographer, who was clearly a spy sent by the show's director, politely shook his head. "Afraid not."

Egbert seemed quite content with the options. "Pick one then."

Eileen flipped through the album frantically, finally settling on an image that was somewhat bearable. "This one," she declared. Egbert glanced at the photo - a simple shot of the couple sitting on a beach bench, blue sea in the background, their lips touching. "Perfect," he said.

Eileen quickly closed the troublesome album and handed it to the photographer. "Do we shoot now?"

"We'll have to head to the beach for this outdoor shot," the photographer informed her.

Eileen glanced at the clock. Great, there goes lunch!

An hour later, they arrived at the beach in the studio's van. Since it was a weekday, the beach was deserted.

Egbert changed into his tuxedo inside the van. When he stepped out, the staff were ready to do his makeup.

Eileen enviously eyed Egbert's sleek pants and sighed. Resigned, she entered the van and began wrestling with her messy dress. Despite a helper's assistance, it took her over twenty minutes to get dressed.

When Eileen emerged from the van, all eyes fell upon the girl in the white gown. She tugged at the off-shoulder neckline, trying to modestly cover her collarbone, and complained again, "This dress is such a hassle."

Then she looked up and met Egbert's dark gaze.

He was immaculately dressed in a white shirt and crisp trousers, simple yet striking.

The entire crew was transfixed by Eileen, their expressions a mix of awe and disbelief.

The assistant holding the train began sweating profusely, stuttering, "Ms... Ms. Lopez insisted on wearing it this way..."

Then everyone's gaze slowly drifted to Eileen's lower half.

The beautiful lace gown was indeed breathtaking, but the denim jeans peeking out from underneath were a complete shocker!

The photographer was at a loss. "Ms. Lopez, why are you wearing jeans under your dress?"

Eileen jumped in place and said, "For convenience."

But the photographer was baffled. "How are we supposed to take pictures like this?"

Eileen blinked in realization. "Didn't the reference photo only show the upper body?"

Egbert closed his eyes, massaging his temples in exasperation.

The photographer was speechless for a moment before insisting, "But we need to capture different angles. Please take off the jeans!" Reluctantly, Eileen went back to the van to remove her jeans. When she reappeared, a makeup artist quickly touched up her look, and they were ready to start the shoot - without any more unexpected surprises.

By the time they had finished fussing with makeup and hair, another hour had slipped by.

The photographer, camera in hand, directed the couple to a bench set up for the shoot.

Egbert stepped in front of Eileen and offered his hand.

Eileen glanced at his outstretched hand, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately placed her hand in his, letting him lead her.

They sat down together on the bench.

Deeming the setting too plain, the photographer requested an assistant to artfully arrange Eileen's wedding dress, providing a touch of elegance. Fiddling with the dress took another fifteen minutes, and by then Eileen's stomach was audibly complaining.

She whispered to Egbert, "Let's try to get this in one take, wrap this up quickly, and call it a day."

Egbert glanced at her and said coolly, "If you cooperate, maybe we can get it in one take."

Eileen quickly asked, "How do I cooperate?"

"Get ready," the photographer suddenly interrupted, calling out, "Groom, you'll kiss the bride on cue. Counting down: three, two, one, action..."

As the word "action" was called, Eileen saw Egbert slowly lean in toward her.

The familiar scent of the man enveloped her.

Eileen lowered her eyes, waiting for Egbert's kiss. But after what felt like an eternity, his lips, so close to hers, never made contact.

Confused, Eileen lifted her head suddenly to look at Egbert.

Perhaps because of the angle, as she lifted her head, her nose brushed against Egbert's.

With a puzzled expression, she whispered, "What are you doing?"

He didn't answer, just kept looking at her.

"Egbert ?" she called again. Still, he remained silent.

Eileen's brow furrowed slightly, and after a moment's hesitation, she clenched her fist, leaned in a bit more, and captured Egbert's lips with her own. At the same time, her warm tongue swept across the cool seam of Egbert's lips.