The Vow Challenge

The café was buzzing with energy as Becky, Freen, Suzy, Orm, and Lingling gathered at their usual table. The wedding countdown was in full swing, and Lingling, of course, had everything meticulously planned. Orm sat back, sipping her coffee with a mix of amusement and mild dread as Becky's mischievous grin hinted at her latest scheme.

"So," Becky began, leaning forward dramatically, "vows. You're writing your own, right?"

Orm nodded casually. "Already working on them."

Lingling added with a nod of approval, "I've outlined a few key points."

Becky's smirk widened. "Key points? Is this a quarterly report or a wedding?"

Lingling's glare could have frozen Becky on the spot. "It's called a structured approach."

Freen, already amused, jumped in. "What if you two write your vows separately, then compare them before the wedding? You know, just to see how well you align."

Orm raised an eyebrow. "Why do I feel like there's a catch?"

Becky feigned innocence. "No catch! Just... a little friendly challenge."

Suzy, ever the romantic, chimed in. "It could be sweet! You'll get to see each other's words beforehand and make adjustments if you need to."

Lingling tilted her head, considering. "Fine. But no meddling," she said, her tone pointed as her gaze flicked to Becky and Freen.

"Oh, of course not," Becky replied with mock sincerity. "Scout's honor."

Later that evening, Orm sat at the penthouse dining table with a blank notebook in front of her. She tapped her pen against the page, deep in thought. Finally, she began to write:

"Lingling, I never thought I'd meet someone who could make my life both peaceful and chaotic in the best ways. You're my home, my partner, and my everything."

She paused, smiling to herself before adding her signature sass: "Also, I promise to let you win 90% of our arguments... but only 90%."

Meanwhile, in her home office, Lingling was surrounded by neatly organized notes and a laptop. Her vows were written with the same precision she brought to corporate presentations. The draft included bullet points, subheadings, and phrases like:

"Our partnership has yielded a 300% increase in overall happiness."

Lingling leaned back, rereading her draft. "Maybe I should add a timeline for our future milestones," she muttered to herself.

The next day, Orm and Lingling handed their drafts over to Becky and Freen for "safe keeping." Becky, smirking, carefully placed both envelopes in her bag.

"You can trust us," she said with a wink. "Totally professional."

Later, as they sorted through the envelopes, Freen casually slid Lingling's draft toward Orm's envelope.

"Oops," Freen said, deadpan. "How did that happen?"

Becky gasped dramatically. "What a shame. Guess they'll just have to take a sneak peek."

Orm sat at the penthouse kitchen counter, coffee in hand, as she unfolded what she thought was her own vow draft. Her eyes widened as she scanned Lingling's meticulous writing.

"There's a graph in here," she muttered, incredulous.

Picking up her phone, she immediately called Becky.

"Becky, she wrote our vows like a business proposal. There's a whole section on 'metrics of love.'"

Becky howled with laughter. "Did she include a spreadsheet? Please tell me there's a spreadsheet."

"She might as well have," Orm said, laughing despite herself. "I love her, but this is peak Lingling."

At the same time, Lingling opened Orm's envelope in her office, expecting something polished and refined. Instead, she found Orm's heartfelt, slightly sassy words.

Her eyes narrowed as she read: "Also, I promise to let you win 90% of our arguments."

Lingling sighed, shaking her head, though a small smile tugged at her lips. "Why does she always have to add a joke?"

Freen peeked into the office, smirking. "Romance with a side of sass. Very Orm."

Lingling folded the paper neatly. "She's impossible. And I love her for it."

That evening, Orm and Lingling sat across from each other in the living room, each holding the other's draft.

"So... a graph?" Orm started, her voice dripping with amusement.

Lingling raised an eyebrow. "And 90% of arguments?"

They stared at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"You are so you," Orm said, shaking her head. "Only you would approach wedding vows like a business merger."

"And only you would sneak in a joke," Lingling retorted, her lips curling into a smirk.

Orm reached for Lingling's hand. "Maybe we should just scrap these."

Lingling tilted her head. "You want to wing it? At the altar?"

Orm shrugged. "Why not? Let's just speak from the heart."

Lingling considered this, then nodded. "No graphs. No jokes. Just us."

Orm grinned. "Well... maybe a small joke."

Lingling sighed but smiled. "You're lucky I love you."

The next day at the café, Becky and Freen were waiting, eager for the fallout.

"So?" Becky asked, practically bouncing in her seat. "Did you compare?"

Orm sat down, shaking her head. "We're scrapping them and going off the cuff."

Becky gasped. "No graphs? No sass? What's left?"

Lingling, smirking, replied, "You're lucky I don't have time to plot my revenge."

Freen leaned back, grinning. "You're missing out. I really wanted to see Lingling give a PowerPoint presentation at the altar."

Orm wrapped an arm around Lingling. "Don't give her ideas."

Becky sighed dramatically. "Fine. But if the vows flop, I reserve the right to say 'I told you so.'"