1.84 Winner Takes the Prize *NSFW*

Kolby pumped his arm as the ball rolled skillfully between the rapidly spinning goalie, Daisy’s jaw dropping. “How did it…? I totally had that!” she stammered.

“Mhm.” He agreed sarcastically, his confident gaze lingering on her playfully. “It was a really close game. Neck and neck for the whole thing. If I ever want a decent playing partner I would definitely choose you.”

She tucked her hair behind her ear out of a forced habit. “Can’t say that it was much skill on my part.”

“Oh, don’t let your opponents know that.” He let out a guffaw that shook his body. “To be honest, I’ve never played this before. It just looked like fun. Winning is all about psyching out your opponent. I guess we both got lucky in this match, some more than others.”

“And I bet you think that you psyched me out, huh?” Daisy rested her hand on her hip. “I think not. I would have had you beat if it wasn’t for that lucky shot at the last minute.”

“Uh-huh. Sure.” He smiled, his gaze falling upon the folded piece of paper that still rested on the edge of the Foosball table.

She followed his attention, becoming curious of what his spoils of winning this game was. “So, I guess we find out what you wrote on that piece of paper then.”

“Yeah,” Kolby walked along the table slowly. “Would you like to read it yourself or keep it a surprise?”

The way he worded that peaked her interest. Did she even want to look at what it was? Considering Kolby proved to be a very confident man, she could only assume a few things. But did she trust him that they followed the only rule she set out, it being appropriate? They were in a public place, so it shouldn’t be too bad… She just hoped it wasn’t something that would humiliate her.

“…I trust you.” She said weakly, her legs wobbling as he neared her, closer and closer until they were nearly touching.

His strong hands held against her sides, lifting her up off the floor as if she was weightless and setting her up on the corner of the game table gently. His hands loosened and rested just below where they were before, his palms nearly touching the fleshy sides of her breaths, exaggerated with each deep and slow breath she took, her eyes catching his in a dazed bewilderment.

Beneath the shadows of his brow she became entranced in the creamy dark chocolate eyes, becoming lost in his intentions as he searched hers. A consistent beating rang in her ears, each becoming faster and more deafening as he lingered before her, unmoving. Was it a kiss that he wanted?… And if it was, would she allow it?

All of the choices ran through her conscious as she thought of if she should or shouldn’t. She didn’t know him well enough to possibly be so reckless in her actions, but his flirty, unwavering facade made her weak in the knees whenever he looked at her in that way. And now that he couldn’t look away turned her bones into jelly, shaking from his touch.

“Do you really trust me?” He echoed her answer back at her as some kind of test. Maybe it was in some way meant to make her think deep and really answer truthfully, but in her mind there was only one response.

“I do.”

A playful smile lurked on his face as he neared her. “You are something else, Daisy.”

She raised her hands towards his shoulders, her fingers kneading softly into his skin, his muscles tensing underneath. At this point every sane part of her mind was shutting off. That part of her that would have shut this kind of behavior down was being drowned out by the screaming desire to feel wanted, kissed… touched, even. Just imagining how close he really was, his legs in-between hers, standing so close that she could feel him against her inner thighs. His breath brushed against her face, her mind swimming within itself, intoxicated by the way he made her feel.

“Is this okay?” Kolby’s hands wandered slowly along the length of her sides, resting on the roundness of her hips, his lips close enough to almost brush against hers. Her skin crawling every place he had touched.

“Yes,” her lips played back, playfully teasing his.

“And this?” His touch fell lower, each cupping her bottom, his fingers feeling around its softness until her breath left her empty, only wanting to be filled again.

Her back arched as she reached towards him, her lips pressing against his, both still for a moment before parting to take a breath and folding into the others, kneading and nibbling at the other, each kiss hungrier for the next, wanting more of the other, their tongues and desire going deeper to satisfy their gluttonous wants.

Daisy, bothered for wanting more, pressed her breasts against him, her fingers grasping at his cotton sweater that wrapped around them, bringing him closer. Her body ached to be closer to his in every way possible… even if that meant that they take this elsewhere.

Breathless, Kolby leaned back, his teeth pulling gently on her bottom lip, her quick breaths warm against his face, eager to kiss him again. “Wait.”

“What?” She begged, her lips pressing against his that were pressed in a stern line acros his face.

He rested his forehead against hers, taking in the others sighs, their adrenaline racing. “As much as we probably want to keep going… I think it would be best… To not go any further.”

“No?” Her voice whining for the attention, her hand playing down the length of his muscular arms.

“Besides,” He smiled devilishly, her heart aflutter. “You still owe me.”

“Huh?” Daisy’s face twisted, confused.

Kolby reached beside them and within his fingers, skillfully opened the ripped receipt, exposing his chicken scratch. “A date.”

She shook her head, her lips inclined into a gentle laugh. “So it wasn’t the kiss then?”

He raised his eyebrows and shifted his weight, “No… But I know we could both agree that we wanted to.” Kolby lifted her down from the table and set her beside him, her arms wrapping around him and nestling her head on his chest.

“I guess so.”

1.83 Blind Love

“If I’m being brutally honest,” Daisy smiled shyly behind her innocent flirting. “I didn’t expect meeting… you.”

He smirked, amused by her words. “You say that as if that could be a good thing… Or something bad.”

“You know what I mean.” She shrugged, unable to keep her thoughts aligned with her spoken words. “But, really… I’ve never met up with something like this. I guess I tended to lean towards starting a relationship the old fashioned way.”

“Im impressed.” He admitted, a slight accent playing off his words as he spoke. “Not many could say that.”

“Ya?”

“Oh, yeah.” He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms across his chest. “In this digital age, who hasn’t taken that leap of meeting strangers online, or worse…” He tapped his pocket that held a small cellular device. “It’s crazy the amount of apps that mold how we interact with others.”

“Well, this is new. For me. So…” Daisy trailed off, her eyes averting from him.

“Don’t worry. We can start with some basics. My name is Kolby Gallardo, I live in a small loft here in Windhelm where I have lived for the most part of my life. I’m 37 years old and I am also a financial consultant…Uh…”

A joking breath flared her nostrils. “Wow, you aren’t kidding.”

He raised his shoulders slightly. “You know, the best way to start a relationship is to be fully transparent…. What can I say?” He leaned in a little closer. “I like you.”

Her cheeks flushed warm beneath her skin. “So I take it’s my turn then.” She clicked her tongue as she formed the words in her mind. “I’m Daisy… Daisy Crisp. I’m 32 and… pretty new to the area. I grew up here as a child and as soon as I could I ran. As fast as I could… Since then I’ve been a personal chef, never staying in one place for too long until now. I guess you could say that all of the moving around has been difficult on my son… Now that he is entering high school I thought it would be best to settle down for him to enjoy the rest of his childhood.”

“Sounds like you have a lot going on.”

“You could say that,” she said embarrassed that she might have said too much.

“Whatever the case, you didn’t scare me off. I’ll consider that a good thing…” He looked around the bar and took notice of a Foosball table in the corner that lay empty within the shadows. “How about we play a game. Loosen up a little…”

---

“So how do we play?” Daisy asked cautiously as she neared the table filled with many tiny men that turned in unison with each individual knob. Her fingers played along the length of the table.

“Easy.” Kolby rested his hands on his sides. “Just hit the ball into your side of the table with these little men and you gain a point. The one with the most goals wins.”

“What’s the winning number?”

“Let’s play to 10.” He readies himself on his side of the table, his hands gripped tightly opposing Daisy. After a moment he took the weightless ball, holding it over the center of the table. “Now what about the winner? Are we playing for anything? Bet’s?”

She bit her bottom lip in thought before reaching into her pocket and unraveling a wadded receipt. From her purse she withdrew a #2 pencil and hastily scribbled something illegible from where he stood. She tore off a part of it and handed the remaining amount to Kolby. “Write it down to redeem at the end.”

He had a devious smile as he began to write what he had in mind if he won.

“And to be clear,” Daisy added, “Keep it appropriate.”

His jaw slacked from disbelief. “Daisy… Where’s the trust?” Kolby laughed to himself and folded the paper twice before setting it on the edge of the table besides her. “For safe keeping.”

She put on her game facade and faced him, awaiting for him to drop the ball into play.

1.82 A Dangerous Night To Fall In Love

“Hurry up, Lionel.” Daisy chided as the car door closed with an abrupt slam. The corners of her mouth were slanted downwards, a tendency that often happened when she was stressed about one thing or another. Impatiently she waited for the ten year old to round the car, his new shoes dragging sluggishly against the pavement. “Pick up your feet.”

She rested her hand between his shoulder blades, urgently prodding him along the poorly kept sidewalk that was littered with weeds sprouting along the cracks. The further they continued towards the front steps the more he resisted, his eyes nervously looking back at her.

“Ma, why do you have to go?” He pleaded.

Daisy exhaled, her eyes rolling out of view. “It won’t be for long. Besides, your father is looking forward to seeing you.” She knocked on the door quickly, her weight shifting between her feet until the door opened, Marcus staring bewildered back at them.

‘Daisy… Lionel…” He forced a smile upon himself, a little scrambled and slightly underdressed. “I didn’t expect…”

“I’m sorry. I should have called, but something came up and… I thought that you would like to spend some time with the boy.” She said nervously, her hands starting to sweat being around Marcus, his chest bare before her. Every thought that crossed her mind were memories between the two of them… And, well, many of them were intimate, seeing as they had always had a physical attraction. It was the one thing that had always drawn them together each time, and quite frankly, she didn’t mind.

“Come in.” He held the door opened as the two of them entered the dark space that was adorned with outdated wallpaper, dust particles lingering in the rays of sunlight that streamed from the small windows.

The three of them stood awkwardly as Marcus closed the door behind them. With his hands in his pockets he walked around them until he mustered something to say. “So bud…” He swallowed hard, unsure of how to act around this new child of his. Marcus thought that it couldn’t be harder than interacting with Cleo, his other child, but this time it felt different. It was as if everything he said or did was being judged. “I’m sure we can find something to do… You know there are some toys upstairs… Albeit there are lots of girl stuff…. I’m sure there is something that might interest you. Puzzles, maybe?”

Lionel shrugged, his interest took a nose dive that was borderline boredom. “Sure.” He walked hastily past him and out of view, his footsteps hitting against the steps as he climbed them.

Phew, Marcus sighed. This was rough.

“So…” He turned his thoughts towards Daisy. “Sounds like you have some big plans for tonight.”

“Yeah,” she cleared her throat. “Some of my old girlfriends… They set me up on a date tonight. It was pretty last minute-”

Although these strange new feelings swelled within him, an overwhelming pricking sensation cut at his chest. Thoughts of her being with another guy besides him haunted him. It was something he had never experienced before. Whenever she was nearby it had always been him. Even with each time she had come and gone… It was him. And now he was just the one on the side. Maybe it was time that they accept the truth of what their relationship had turned into. With how many times their relationship didn’t pan out… It was probably time that they accept that it wasn’t to be in the end.

“And I’m sure it’s just nothing.” She finished, her voice trailing off uncomfortably admitting everything in front of Marcus. It was obvious this wasn’t something he wanted to hear anyways as she observed his body language. Daisy knew that he still liked her, and she him. That was obvious, but she knew she had to take a break… to withstand his unnatural attraction she had towards him and see if there was anything else out there. Besides, their relationships had been about one thing and one thing only and that was sex- and a lot of it. It never turned into much more than that because each time she felt the pressure of a relationship she had always found a way to escape. To run off in pursuit of something else that would distract her.

“Well, good luck,” Marcus forced a smile, finding it hard to be as supportive as he wanted to be. He had to keep reminding himself that even if he never had a relationship with her, she would always be part of his life as the mother of his child.

Daisy put her hands in her shallow pant’s pockets. “Erm, thanks.” She lingered a moment, unsure of what to do.

“It’s just… really good to see you. It’s been a while… Are you staying in the area then?”

“Yeah.” She nodded. “Staying with some friends currently, but the plan is to find a house to rent in the area for just me and Lionel. Now that he’s in your life I feel like we should stay close.”

“Really?” Marcus’ eyebrows rose in a shocked surprise that lit up his eyes. “Thank you.” He pulled her towards him and held her in a tight embrace. In an unexpected shock, Daisy stood there awkwardly, but soon found her hands holding him back against the bare skin of his back. With a deep breath she could smell the familiar sandalwood scent that she had always familiarized with him within her nostrils.

She could feel the slack in his arms as they loosened, yet lingered in a comfortable entanglement of the two of them, their breaths syncing with the rising and sinking of their chests against each other. What was this? Was this still a hug? An embrace? Something else…? What is this supposed to mean? Sure they had plenty of time to step away. He could have let her go, but… why hadn’t she?

Daisy was sure that she didn’t want a relationship with Marcus, but why was it so hard to pull away from him? It was as if her body and mind wanted two different things, both conflicting in a tug of war against the other in which she was sorely losing.

She leaned away as far as she could, but it wasn’t far enough. He was still before her, their bodies still touching, her hands holding his muscled arms while his slid to her slender waist awaiting the next checkpoint before continuing their exploration. Her eyes searched his emerald green irises as if she could read what his thoughts, feelings, intentions were. How did he really feel about her? She obviously liked him, but was he just her security blanket?

The reality of time warped between them in those moments, her gravity melding into his as she drew nearer, their lips about to touch in a time of weakness between the two of them. His warm breath brushed against her and she bit her bottom lip, unable to stop progressing this unwanted betrayal her body instinctively did.

“Stop,” she whispered painfully, her voice weakening from conflicting emotions. “We…”

He turned away, hurt from the sudden decision. Marcus was fully aware that what they almost did was terrible, considering she was about to go out with another guy in just a short amount of time, but it was so hard to fight through and process these feelings of jealousy and possession. How was he going to watch her have a relationship with someone else?

“I’m sorry.” His voice deepened, while scratching his neck nervously. “I guess you should go… Enjoy your date.”

She nodded in response, unsure of what to say or do in a position that they were now in. Without more than another word she turned away towards the direction of the door and exited herself.

Marcus turned around and saw Lionel standing in the doorway, his expression confused as all his thoughts bubbled beneath his surface, unable to speak about it comfortably. It was obvious that he had seen the moment between his mother and him… It was just too bad that there was nothing he could do to make it that way. But that is life sometimes.

“Come.” He beckoned him alongside. “How about we go find a puzzle.”

1.81 Awry

Paolo stumbled up the staircase in the hazy darkness, his balance off kilter, but at least his emotions were held at bay, numbed from the drinks he had at the bar. After a few he had lost count, but it didn’t matter anymore. Nothing seemed to matter at the moment.

He groaned as he reached the top step and pulled himself straight. He took notice that the lampshade was lit on the far side of the bedroom, Gwen sitting there, her head tilted to the side, her eyes narrowed in that judgmental glare she always gave him – one that he came to hate more and more.

“Drunk… Again?” She said sternly, yet unable to hide how disappointed she was at the same time. The way she said it came off a little harsh, but it had been a long day for her as well and this wasn’t the first time this had occurred.

Paolo rolled his eyes exaggeratedly with an annoyed growl uttering from his throat. “Can you stop harping on me already?” He pressed his fingertips against the temple of his forehead, it already starting to ache from her voice. “I am not feeling well right now. Can we just…?” He cut himself off and motioned towards the bed that she sat on defensively.

However, the look from her expression showed that it wasn’t an option. Not yet, at least. She wasn’t finished with him yet.

“Go to bed?” She finished, her tone took a more sarcastic tone that was intended to dig a little. Gwen hated these fights as much as he did, but there came a time where enough was enough. The small talk in passing of the increased drinking, late nights and an overall neglect that he had kids at home that missed him… It didn’t seem to faze him, but now… it had reached a head and she was ready to nip it… or at least show him how serious she was about all of this. “Right. So staying out all day warrants you to do whatever the hell you want to do, and you think you can just waltz in here like you always do and expect me to not give a damn?”

He let out a small chuckle under his breath as he tried to dismiss her concerns, his face long and weary. “Look… Can’t we talk about this later?”

“Later? Like your regular crash and dash? If I haven’t learned any better, you’d be out of bed and the house by the time that day breaks. No… we are having this conversation now.”

“Gwen…”

“You have to stop, Paolo.”

“Stop what?”

“The searching, the late nights, the drinking… I’ve said it multiple times and I think it’s about time that you are serious about it, too.”

“I am serious, babe.” He took a step towards her trying to diffuse her rising temper that was simmering beneath the surface.

“Stop!” She said abruptly, her eyes falling from his gaze. “Don’t come any closer. I’m serious… I just want answers… So tell me. Why don’t you stop it all… Stay home tomorrow and spend the weekend with the kids. Calliope is upset as it is that you didn’t make it to her science fair exhibit today… I think you need to make it up to her.”

Paolo rubbed his neck, unsure of it was the right time to be coming clean and honest. “I’ve just been busy… You know… Work and all…”

“Don’t bullshit me.”

“What?”

Gwen inhaled slowly, her breath shaking as she held back years of festering emotions that were about ready to spill over in a fit of rage and tears. “When has it been that you thought that you could lie right to my face?… I called your coach today.”

“Yeah?” He said weakly, his frustrations growing from being called out. He hated being put on the spot like this. It was one thing to beat himself up in his head about everything, but now that it was coming from his wife.

“Yeah. And can you guess what he told me?” Silence. “You’ve been off the team for weeks, months even. So all the times you said you were out to train or for a game and…” Gwen’s hands shook in front of her as she tried to regain her thoughts. “What? You’ve been out drinking… Just tell me this…” Every fiber in her being couldn’t stop thinking about if he was seeing someone else. It would explain why their relationship had been thrown in the wayside and his aloof behavior. She stood up from the bed standing awkwardly before him. They weren’t that far apart, but she’s never felt so distant. “Are you seeing anyone else?”

His face twisted in disgust. “Seriously? You think that little of me right now?”

“What else am I supposed to think? You don’t talk to me! You are gone all of the daylight hours and the saddest part is… the girls still ask about you. Every single damn day! I’m done trying to make excuses for you. You can answer your own girls, because I’m getting tired of… the lies. Your lies and my lies.”

Paolo’s eyes furrowed under his deep eyebrows as he took a step towards her. “You think this is so damn easy for me! It’s not!” He restrained his voice from yelling at her. “Do you know why I drink? It’s because I can’t stand to look at my life anymore. I couldn’t keep focused for work, so the coach booted me off the team. I couldn’t protect my own daughter, and she’s been kidnapped, dead for all we know! I can’t stand being home because I have you who won’t stop nagging me and two girls I know I have let down.”

“So you’re checking out, hmm?”

He shrugged his shoulders in a loss of what to say.

“What about me, then? What about me when you leave all day without a word? Hmm? When Kestrel disappeared the whole world fell on my shoulders! And you just… ran away. I’m the one that has lost everything. I lost my child AND my career! Every morning I’m supposed to get out of bed and put on a happy face for the children we DO have! I clean up after them, feed them, take them to and from school, help them with all of their extracurricular activities… Oh, but let’s not forget that I’m also covering for their dead-beat dad who can’t even be there for the simple things!”

“You, bitch!”

Slap.

The hit rang and seemed to linger in the room, the silence exaggerated between the two of them- Paolo stunned and Gwen stepping away from him in shock what she had just done. She cleared her throat awkwardly before taking her first words.

“I think it maybe best if you go.”

Everything began to register and he pulled himself from the shock of her hit, the skin still burning.

“Go where?”

She didn’t answer, but walked away, her hands in tense fists at her sides. She knew when the fight was over, and to be honest, it should have ended sooner before letting her anger take control of her. She had crossed the line and needed to step away to regain her composure. Before she turned the corner in the room she looked once more into the eyes of her husband, a man that felt no more foreign than a stranger. “You tell me… Goodbye, Paolo.”

She walked into the bathroom and locked the door behind her, the click of the mechanics a signal for her to drop the strong facade she wore, her hands beginning to shake at what had happened… Never did she think she would ever hurt him. Sure, he made her sorts of frustrated and angry… But the love she had for him never truly left. If only it had, then she wouldn’t feel as weak and helpless to want to help him or hope that things would eventually work out. But it was all hopeful thinking. If she really didn’t feel anything towards him, saying goodbye would be easy.

Gwen leaned against the door, her body shivering from the adrenaline that flowed in her veins. There was nothing that could calm her at this point as tears squeezed out at the corners of her eyes and down her rosy cheeks.

“Gwen!” Paolo pounded on the door with his fist. “Come out. This isn’t over!”

“Yes… It is.” She managed to say in a strong voice to hide the sadness that overwhelmed her.

“You can’t kick me out of my own house!” The pounds came faster and harder against the door, all that she could feel against her back. “Gwen!… It’s not over! You hear me?!”

She listened to his angry cursing and he paced in the room until he receded down the stairs. Minutes later she heard the front door slam in a finale that shattered from the sheer force of his anger. That didn’t go as she expected. What she had hoped would be a stern conversation that would help him understand that it hasn’t been easy for her either… That it could have given him the desire to try harder… It all blew up in her face.

Was this really goodbye? All these years… And it being over just like that? Was it possible for her to forgive him, let alone him forgive her?

Space. They needed space, if anything… And maybe a night to sleep on things.

She slid down the door, her legs failing her slowly as she cried heavy sobs into her hands. Was there no way to fix things now? Were they just far gone to fix? Had time and pain taken them on two separate paths?

She held nothing back as she relived her pain through her agonizing sobs behind the bathroom door. Finally, through time, her tears ceased and she was able to let go of a lot her frustrations… A weight of a ton of bricks off of her shoulder.

Slowly she exited the bathroom, her bare feet pattering on the hardwood floors as she entered her room. Sure, it looked the same as it did before, but now there was a large emptiness in it she had never experienced before.

For once she felt truly alone and on her own. And as much as she thought she could take on the world and all the mess it threw her way, she was scared.

1.80 Surveillance

What had once been days… turned into weeks, months and years, all the while Paolo keeping his spirits up that he was going to find her. One day… One day he will see her again and wake up from this terrible dream. If she was here things wouldn’t be as they were. Sure, there was a lot to complain about and a lot that could be better, but all he could muster was one day at a time.

He bundled into his fleece jacket and rubbed his hands along the length of his thighs in order to warm them up just a little bit more. The bitter sting of the cold breeze wore at him as the sun extended its final rays of the day, the darkness starting to settle among this little town. Another day, another night… When would it all end.

The playground was nearly desolate, a lone kid hanging from the monkey bars as their mother watched on, her eyes occasionally veering in his direction. He didn’t blame her… After the whole ordeal of a child going missing here in Windhelm, the entire community was on full alert. With the culprit still at large after all these years the play grounds were more a thing from the past.

Not to mention, it didn’t help that he hid his identity beneath a worn cap and shades. If the sick individual ever showed his face with his little girl, he would be ready to make the jump. He was sure that she had to be still alive… Even if the police force didn’t believe so, he had to have hope that she was.

The mother, a little spooked, called out for her child and soon the both of them were on their way home while there were was still light to be had. And then it hit Paolo. The silence of the twilight. The brief window before the insects chirped where all that was heard was the whistling of the wind through the leaves.

An eerie feeling settling within him with all sorts of heavy and disturbing thoughts fell upon him. Kestrel just had to be safe. She had to.

He stood up and knew that he had to go home. There wasn’t anything else here to look out for… He paused for a second knowing what was awaiting him there. With a shake of his head he turned the other way. Tonight felt like one of those to help drown the intense feelings that swelled within him.

 

1.79 Thoughts Inside My Head

Dear diary,

No that doesn’t sound right. Too pre-teen.

To my future self,

…No, too pretentious. It’s not like I’m going to be reading this five years from now. Unless… No. No way. I guess writing this doesn’t need a header or proper introduction. It is, after all, my thoughts… A way to put all my feelings in writing and get it off of my chest. It’s not like I could speak any of this to anybody… And if anyone finds this, I might as well be dead, but here it goes.

My journal, my therapist, and in some strange way, my friend. A lot has been happening lately and it all stems back to before I can remember… I suppose there is a story there, but from what my father tells, I had another sister. Crazy, right? She’s been gone a while now, but from what I heard she disappeared. And if she is still alive out there, maybe it was a good thing. Things have been crazy here lately with Mom and Dad.

I know they have a hard time understanding each other, but they have been fighting a lot more lately. They think that we don’t hear it or don’t comprehend it, but… we do. We’re not babies anymore. I’m almost 8 now and… through all the fighting… it makes sense. Sure, she’s gone… But it’s been six years now. To be honest, I don’t even remember her… Sometimes I like to pretend that she’s real and I’ll talk to her… my imaginary sister. She’s a good listener… but not so much of a talker, if you know what I mean.

Anyway, I fear Mom and Dad will get divorced. Sometimes I even wonder if they still love each other by how they force themselves to behave in front of us. That can’t be normal. It sounds scary and all, but I know plenty of kids from school that come from broken families and they’re okay… Or at least they look okay. They really don’t talk to me…

I don’t have a lot of friends at school, but there is one… Reed. Reed Giordanno. The most quirky, athletic and quite possibly funniest boys at school. It’s obvious I have a crush on him, but I don’t think he seems to see that. He is quite blind to my advances… But I secretly hope that he likes me, too. 

I know that I shouldn’t worry about these things since Mom says that boys are icky and have germs and cooties, but I can’t help but to know what I feel. Do I just ignore these feelings toward him, or keep advancing? Oh, I wish you could speak to me and tell me what I should do. I would talk to Calli, which I tell everything else to, but with boys… She wouldn’t understand. We may be twins, but that doesn’t mean she can feel the way I can. While I spend my nights thinking about Reed, she’s on her side of the room reading ‘So You Think Yer A Wizard?”… Always lost in a different fantasy.

I guess things will work themselves out… eventually. I just hope that I can figure out how to navigate these next few years. ‘Cuz, boy, it would be so nice to be an adult for once. Being a kid is no fun.

Your’s Truly, 

The lovely Astrid.

–

A/N:

In game I saw Astrid writing and I thought it felt perfect to add that into the story as a journal entry. We see her navigating the world differently from the rest of the family as she grows her own personality. It also makes me think back to when I was that age and how I would write crazy diary entries, all of which I burned when I uncovered them as a teenager. Just too embarrassing to see the chicken scratch in those cheap Lisa Frank journals.

Oh the days… They pain me to think about, haha.

Also, it’s crazy that all my Sims keep aging. The last time we saw the twins they were toddlers and now they are halfway through as children. My time is running out!

1.78 End Game

Through the reflection of the mirror she could see that her dress wasn’t as fresh as it was when she had first put it on earlier this evening, but pulling it on its end helped take care of a lot of the creases. Looking in the mirror was a little difficult seeing the curves of her body in the dress that hugged them.

Britta sighed, feeling uncomfortable with how she looked, being that she had inherited her families well-known wide hips. Sometimes she felt good sporting a nice set of jeans, but more times than naught she found herself self-conscious, especially around Jeff. What was it that really drove him towards her? Was it her monotonous day-to-day lifestyle, her being a mother, her bland personality, or the way her body looked? It was a question she couldn’t answer herself, but was still too embarrassed to ask him.

“Don’t worry about it.” Jeff tucked in his shirt into his slacks. “You look fine.”

“Huh?” She said quickly, chuckling awkwardly.

“Your dress.”

She looked down at her dress, again running her hands across the fabric.

“It looks fine.”

“Oh, of course.” Britta shrugged, trying her best to not let it get to her. Of course he would say that, but she still felt out of her element. It was very uncommon for her to dress up and already it was getting on the side of uncomfortable. Always glancing down to make sure breasts weren’t falling out of the top, the tight hugging the dress did to her tummy making it that much harder to breath without an added effort. It didn’t help that the dress was from before she had kids and was a few pounds smaller. “Well, we should get back down before we lose our table.”

Jeff smirked with a nod. “I’ll see you down there?”

She nodded. “Yeah.”

She waited until he left through the swinging door before she returned her attention back to the large mirror that exposed a lot of her body. It was the first time in a while she got this much to look at since her mirror at home was just tall enough to view herself from the shoulders up… but below that… it was a little more horrifying to look at. Is that really what she looked like? How could he love her when she had such a hard time loving herself?

With a deep breath in, sucking in her tummy the best she could, she walked back down towards the table where Jeff sat, his eyes watching her until she sat down. Now that she was back behind the table she let her breath go stealthily, her stretched tummy bulging beneath her dress.

It didn’t take long before the waitress slid beside the table, her presence almost making no sound as she approached. She was young and it was obvious in the way she carried herself and the almost too happy smile she had imprinted on her face.

“Ma’am… Sir…” She acknowledged the two of them with a nod in their direction. “Welcome to Piccolo’s. My name is Esme and I will be your server tonight.” She slid a plastic wrapped menu folder before the two of them. “I will give you both some time to look at the menu, unless you are ready to order.” With a glance in both of their directions and after noticing no reaction she continued. “To start, what would you like to drink? We carry Simma Cola products, water and an assortment of alcoholic drinks.”

Britta looked over towards Jeff and then towards Esme. “Um… I’ll just start with a water, please.”

“Same.” Jeff added.

The waitress nodded. “Wonderful. Take your time looking at the menus and I’ll be back shortly.” She walked off briskly and around the corner in the direction of the kitchen.

Jeff reached down towards his pocket and could feel the lump that resided within. Before sitting down tonight he had been confident and had even had a speech prepared and memorized, but every time he looked in her direction, his eyes occasionally catching hers before he looked away. Why was this difficult all of a sudden?

His skin began to clam up and his tie a little more constricting the more he thought about it. He loosened it up slightly, his pulse racing beneath. Why was he so scared to commit to his plan now, despite how strongly he felt about it? About her…

Jeff found his eyes averting towards her, despite his trying to look away… anything to help build his confidence. However, the longer he waited, the more panicked he felt inside to call it all off and act casual throughout he date. Maybe it was a little premature to be thinking these thoughts. Being together is fun, wild, spontaneous… stable. There was so much on the table he wanted, and strangely being a father was one of them.

He wiped his sweaty palms on his pants and slid his chair back far enough to stand from it. Britta looked up towards him, her face confused as he stood in place for a brief moment, his face paling.

“Jeff?” She leaned her head to the side, carefully observing him as he ran his hand through his hair to pull back the hair that played across his brow. He neared her slowly, as if every step was a huge decision in itself, until he was before her and taking a knee. There was so much she wanted to say right now, but the words couldn’t form to be spoken.

He cleared his throat nervously, his hands taking hers and rubbing his thumbs against the back of her palm. “Look… uh… I’m obviously not good at this and I’m… obviously scared plumless, but…” He froze mid-sentence, his gaze falling toward the ground. “I hope that you can hear me out for what I have to say… what I’ve prepared… Oh, plum…” He shook his head, his face flushing.

“Okay.” She smiled, anticipating what he had to say. While she had taken the relationship slowly she was more than ready for this.

“Britta Jeanne Jensen… From the first time that I saw you at the Park that… erm,… fateful day, I knew there was something about you. Something that intrigued me. To me you were that woman way out of my league, and for you to accept my invitation for coffee a week later… I couldn’t believe it…”

Britta could still remember the small encounters they had in the beginning. There was the first time they met at the Park during the debacle of Kestrel’s disappearance and then a week later when he had called her in for an interview. She will never forget the panic he had when he first attempted to ask her for coffee. She had to practically finish the sentences for him… So, by all logic, she had asked herself for coffee.

“And the past few years have been the best of my life. Being able to be a part of your life, whether it was big or small, has meant the world for me… and then meeting your girl, Cleo… I can’t imagine a world without the two of you in it now. And I hope that I’m not rushing it too quickly considering I met Cleo today, but…” He reached into his left pants pocket, a velvety black box emerging and flipping open to expose a moderately priced ring, a small diamond placed in the center. “Britta, will you marry me?”

A feeble breath rushed past her lips, her voice quiet and weak. “Yes… Yes!” Her hands shook as he slid the ring on her finger, his eyes meeting with hers once it was finally in place. He smiled, it stretching across his face, his perfectly set teeth exposed.

“Oh…!” She sighed, reaching for him and drawing him close to her, their lips colliding in a flurry of joyous kisses. “We’re engaged.”

“Yes.” He chuckled, his arms shaking as they rested around her shoulders. “We are.”

1.77 Rendezvous Pt. 2

**WARNING– NSFW (sexuality)** Wordless.

---

 

–

A/N:

I guess I am at a loss of words. Either way, you can witness and narrate it for yourself. 🙂

1.76 Rendezvous Pt. 1

Britta readjusted in her chair to get comfortable. Sure the material was a little stiff, but it was clearly designed for aesthetics rather than comfort. But that was no matter compared to the evening she was expecting to have with Jeff. She had taken him up on his offer for dinner and a date, and as did he when he agreed to meeting with Cleo.

“We haven’t started our date, but it has already exceeded my expectations.” Jeff grinned, pulling out his chair and taking a seat.

“Has it now?” She flirted.

“Of course. Your daughter… Cleo… Is such a brilliant girl. Opinionated, but good.” Before arriving he picked her up at her house, being able to spend some time with Cleo as well.

“So I’m not the only one who sees that side of her.” She laughed at his observance. “I guess she gets that from me.”

“Hmm.” He chuckled. “I couldn’t guess…. But I’m glad. It went very good… You think she likes me?”

Britta raised her eyebrows in disbelief. “You serious? She loved you! I have never seen her warm up to someone so fast, and for her to show you her stuffed animal collection within the first five minutes of meeting you, that speaks volumes! I don’t think her own father has seen the full collection.”

“Wow… I’m flattered.” Jeff pulled the napkin onto this lap, preparing for the meal that he was eager for. “That is a good start…” He cleared his throat, his thoughts distracting him from the current moment as he started ahead blankly.

“Yeah.” She glanced around the restaurant that seemed dismally bare, but then again they came early so that they could be back with plenty of time to spare so she could get Cleo to bed on time.

Across their booth she couldn’t help but spot the waitress who was in the middle of tasks, busily preparing the restaurant for the soon-to-be rush of dinner patrons. It looked like there would still be time before they would be greeted. She looked across the table towards Jeff, a lust growing within her.

Britta stood up, straightening the folds in her dress, her finger tracing the edge of the table as she walked alongside it. “So… I’m going to freshen up real quick… In the bathroom.” She cleared her throat, grabbing his attention, hoping that he was getting the message. “… If you care to join me before dinner.”

She looked him up and down once and, then with purse in hand, strode across the restaurant, a confidence in her stride evident with each sway of her hips.

Jeff looked over his shoulder and watched as she disappeared up the stairs towards the facilities. HE knew exactly what she was referring to– a common occurance they had once done before they started moving their ‘relations’ at her place. Her bed was mighty comfortable with it being a pillow-top versus the standard mattresses at a hotel that were lumpy and questionably clean.

He glanced around the restaurant which was still bare, barely a soul in sight. Looking both ways he folded the napkin and set it on the table. With Britta with a minute head-start he straightened his tie and proceeded in her direction. It was a date after-all, and what better way to start it than with some hanky panky.

1.75 Intermission

**WARNING– NSFW (sexuality)** 

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Jeff crawled along the bed, the majority of this clothes tossed carelessly on the floor, and towards Britta who waited in anticipation, only covered with the skimpy amount of lingerie… But not for long.

Each of his movements rocked the bed underneath his weight until he leaned over her, his devilishly handsome eyes looking down at her, a smirk drawn across his features. “Must I say, you look really good where you are right now.” His eyes glancing down the length of her body, admiring her natural curves.

Mmm, she hummed as her arms wrapped around his well-toned chest.

He leaned into her, meeting his lips on hers briefly before pulling away to look at her desperately longing expression that wanted him. “So is it different?”

“Huh?” She tilted her head flirtatiously, more than eager to just have him rather than have small banter in between.

“Having me over.” He chuckled has he hovered his lips above hers, teasing her for a kiss, the sexual tension building between them. “Does it make it feel any more real that we’re in your house… your bed?”

She didn’t think of it before, but now that he mentioned it, this encounter did feel a little bit different. They had been hiding their relationship for so long now and meeting up in the obvious conspicuous places, but was this her way of accepting the ‘relationship’ they did have? Subconsciously, was she wanting to make this more serious? A part of her said no, while the other yes, yes, yes.

“Maybe…” She smiled seductively.

“Well, good.”

Jeff adorned her jawline with kisses, spanning them along down the stretch of neck, nibbling gently at her skin. She squirmed underneath him, her hips gyrating against him, each breath increasing in intensity. He growled in pleasure in response to her titillation, every part of her in want of him as she grabbed at him to pull closer.

He began tugging at her laced panties, ready to tear them off to make way for what they both wanted, the enlarging pressure in his boxers indicating his need to consummate their desire for one another.

Mmm, she hummed, entirely distracted by his readiness, her own in sync, the space between her legs begging for him. Britta tried to pull from the numbing buzz, her attention perking up. “Did you hear that?”

“Don’t worry about it.” He growled in her ear dismissively, his mind distracted by the task at hand.

“No, wait.” She squirmed uneasily. “I swear I- … Hey, what time is it?”

“Why?” Jeff leaned up, his facial appearance confused as to why she was suddenly so distraught. This was not like her. “Everything okay?”

The front door closed against its frame, it clicking in place. There was an eerie silence as both she and Jeff froze in place, the two of them unable to take a breath or make any sudden movements without the mattress sounding in response.

“Mom…?” Cleo’s voice ended in a higher pitch, confused herself that the house was as quiet as it was.

“Plum…! Jeff, hide!” Britta said under her breath in a hysterical panic, shimmying her panties back up her thighs. “One sec!” She called in response to her daughter.

“Where?” He whispered between his clenched jaw, looking around the room quickly at how barren it was.

 

“Just…” she said in a frenzy, knowing he was right. There wasn’t a real good place to hide. Out of desperation she pushed him off of her sending him towards the edge of the bed, tumbling off the side with a loud thud.

Oof!

Scrambling out of bed she tossed on her shirt with just enough time before her daughters inquisitive eyes came around the corner, her eyes glancing around the room. “Did you hear that?”

“W-what?” she stammered, still stewing from her frisk with Jeff. “What n-noise?” Britta straightened her unkempt hair.

“I thought I heard…”

“I was….” Britta stalled, trying to come up for an excuse to keep Cleo from asking any more questions. “I was just taking a nap. I must’ve… been talking. Yeah, sometimes I say stuff in my sleep…” Wow, that was lame.

“Oh.” Cleo shrugged casually, unbeknownst of anything being out of the ordinary. “Is it okay if I go to Reed’s house?”

Britta nodded, still flustered from the predicament that she found herself in. “Y-yeah. Of course. Just be back before dinner.”

“Yay! Thank you, mom!” She skipped down the hallway and out the door, the house falling quiet again before she collapsed on the edge of the bed, her stomach swirling from the stress of hiding her secret: Jeff. Cleo still hadn’t met him, let alone that she was seeing anyone… Maybe she just needed to pull the band-aid off and see where the pieces fell. She did have a habit of overthinking things. Perhaps this was one of those circumstances. Wouldn’t Cleo just be glad that she was happy and moving on?

There was only one way to find out.

 

Jeff climbed off of the floor, leaning on the edge of the bed across from her a quirky smile sprawling. “Well, that was… unexpected.”

Britta sighed, oddly embarrassed that her daughter almost caught them in the act. For all she knew, her daughter didn’t know what sex was… and this wasn’t the best way for her to find out without both of them being scarred in unimaginable ways. “Yeah… Look, I’m so sorry, Jeff.”

He shook it off. “It’s okay. It comes with the territory. I mean, you’re a mom… I admire that about you… And I more fully understand why we don’t… meet here more often.”

Britta laughed under her breath. Only he could calm her down from the edge of losing her cool. “Yeah. Point demonstrated…” She walked around the bed and sat beside him, nestling her head against his chest, trying to calm her nerves that were still going haywire from the panic she drove herself into. “Jeff?”

“Yes?” He leaned his head against hers, giving her temple a tender kiss.

“I was just thinking… I think I’m ready.”

“Ready?”

Britta looked up at him. “I think I’m done hiding you from everyone in my life.”

His eyes widened from the unexpected surprise. “You mean that I can be more than your booty call?”

“Stop!” She jabbed at him playfully, a giggle escaping her. “You know what I mean… If you are still up for it I’d like to be more… Introduce you to my friends and family, and of course my daughter. I think you’d really like her.”

“Oh, yeah. I’m sure I’d love her. From everything you said about Cleo, she sounds wonderful.” He gave her a quick kiss one last time, getting up from the bed. “I better go so we don’t have another surprise.”

Britta’s gaze lowered unhappily, a pit in her stomach growing knowing that he was going. It was a feeling she felt too often every time she had to leave his side. “You’re right.”

“How about this…” He began as he applied his wrinkled clothes that were on the floor. “If you don’t have any plans this Saturday I would love to take you out.”

She smiled. “It’s a date.”

“Great!” He paused momentarily between the buttons on his shirt. “Does that mean that I can pick you up here?”

Although she was nervous at the request she knew she should oblige. “Of course.”

“Perfect.” He approached the window, the one he had entered in. “I’ll see you then.”

“Okay… I love you.” Britta could feel her heart tug.

He looked back over his shoulder one last time, a soft grin warming on his face. “Love you, too.”

–

A/N:

For the past two weeks I have been wanting to find the perfect cc hair that would match up to the Maxis hair that she had. Alas, it was found and I really, really like it. I think it really adds to this episode. 

Also, I’m not much for writing hot and spicy episodes, but I felt like it had to be done since that’s the stage they are in within their relationship. For them the secret is what really makes this dynamic work. Plus, they are just too cute together! Up until their hotel room episode, I literally had no intentions for them to hook up… But I rather it. *starts building a ship*