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Visiting the most romantic country in the world and sharing a smooth, red wine over dinner with a beautiful, brown-eyed french woman could only lead to one thing ... couldn't it? Well, for Jack, it lead to disaster. The beautiful french woman he had been sharing dinner with was not just any french woman - she was his friend. So, will the shame of his actions consume him or will he repair the friendship before it is too late?
I apologise for the delay in finishing this chapter but I wish I had more time to work on it. I hope you all still remember the first chapter but if you need a refresher, the link is here: http://www.thesimsresource.com/members/shaml_sim_/stories/details/category/sims3-romance/id/18047/.
I apologise for the delay in finishing this chapter but I wish I had more time to work on it. I hope you all still remember the first chapter but if you need a refresher, the link is here: http://www.thesimsresource.com/members/shaml_sim_/stories/details/category/sims3-romance/id/18047/. In his hotel room the next morning, Jack woke up with a groan. What had he done last night? He rubbed a hand over the stubble already growing on his jaw line and then covered his face with his hands. Surely he hadn’t made a big mistake by kissing Sylvia … had he? The fresh memories of her soft lips against his resurfaced and he closed his eyes. At that moment, the idea of being swallowed up into a big, black hole seemed much more appealing than having to get out of bed and face the fact that he had just destroyed a great friendship. Wanting sleep to devour him seemed just the ticket for it not to do so. It seemed so unfair but it was always the way so he reluctantly dragged himself from the cozy sheets tucked around him. As he walked towards the bathroom, more memories of last night materialized before him.
Unexpectedly, it was the memory of the sizzling passion between him and Sylvia that took him by surprise. He had never even thought about her in a romantic way but obviously something inside him disagreed. She was beautiful, of course, and smart, sweet, good company… but this didn’t feel right. And now he had definitely screwed everything up. Absently smearing toothpaste over his toothbrush, he began to clean his teeth, all the while watching his reflection in the mirror. Ten minutes later, he was showered and dressed and felt somewhat better - though nowhere near as good as he usually felt. He silently cursed himself for leaving his scooter at Sylvia’s place; the last thing he wanted to do was see her today after the previous night. Not only was it because of the embarrassment and regret he now felt, it was also because he was now confused about Sylvia’s feelings towards him.
He couldn’t say why but something told him it wasn’t just the wine Sylvia had consumed which had caused her to reciprocate the kiss they shared with so much fervor. It could have been the way she leaned in towards him before withdrawing prior to him kissing her; it could have been the glimmer in her eyes which intensified when he got closer; it could have been her whimper which had almost escaped unnoticed in the heat of the moment. Either way, he was sure Sylvia was feeling just as miserable as he was today and that made him feel worse. Finally reaching her house, Jack spotted his red scooter parked just where he had left it, completely unaware of what had transpired in the house behind it less than twenty four hours ago. Jack only wished he could say the same. Just at that moment, he had a thought – Sylvia probably wasn’t even home. It was mid morning, after all, so there was no need to let her know he was picking his scooter back up.
Before he could convince himself otherwise, his pace accelerated and just as he was about to sit down on the small leather seat of the scooter, he heard a door creak open. Sighing with defeat, he tentatively peered up at the front door of Sylvia’s house and was surprised to see it still firmly shut. A child’s excited scream sliced through his thoughts, followed by a laugh and a car door opening. It was just the house next door, Jack realised with relief. Knowing his luck could turn any second, he didn’t waste another moment. He was on his scooter and maneuvering his way through the streets of Champs Les Sims once more before he could take another breath.
*******************
Unbeknown to Jack, Sylvia watched tearfully from the window as he disappeared down the street. Knowing he was getting further and further away from her – both physically and emotionally – tore at her heart. If only he knew that she had lain awake all night thinking about that kiss; the only kiss she had ever experienced that had actually meant something. Afterwards, when he walked out on her, she had felt as if he had not only taken her heart but also her soul.
She had fallen in love with him the first moment she had seen him two years ago but had never believed she would have the chance to be with him – until last night, that is. And now, not only was she more in love with him than ever, she knew without a doubt that he would never feel the same about her.
******************* Having previously taken many photographs of French icon, The Eiffel Tower, Jack decided to this time take a different approach. Instead of capturing the magnificent structure in a shot which illustrated how large and intimidating it can be, he decided to take a picture of it from a distance – in black and white. This would not only display to the world how beautiful and romantic it was, it would also capture the culture surrounding it. The French held something no other culture could attain; passion, charm and a sense of tranquility. It was where many people came to relax, indulge and, most certainly, fall in love.
Suddenly disheartened about the fact that it didn’t include him, he got on with his job. The scene before him was perfect and once the camera was in position and ready, he pushed his index finger down and heard the familiar click. He studied the picture he had just taken for a moment or two before he sighed and let his arms fall down by his side. It was unfortunate that he had let his inhibitions down with Sylvia so early into his trip, or at all, but what was done was done. He couldn’t change it and somehow, he knew it was meant to be like this. As the last daylight had sunk beneath the distant horizon, Jack arrived back at his hotel. He originally planned on having another meal at the Catania Cafe, this time beneath the stars, but the motivation had disappeared the moment he had awoken that morning. Instead, he found himself eating a bland plate of spaghetti that he made himself. He did have to admit, though, it did complement his mood. An exquisite meal would only be wasted right now.
Curling the long tendrils of delicate pasta around his fork, he brought it to his mouth and it slipped easily down his throat. As he ate his last mouthful, he could feel his phone vibrate in his pocket and the blood drained from his face. Sylvia – it wouldn’t be anyone else. Jack wrestled with his conscience knowing he should answer the call but he couldn’t physically do it. Shame burned through him every time he thought of what he did the previous night but was grateful beyond words that it hadn’t gone any further. On the fifth ring, though, he jerked the mobile from his pocket out of frustration. It was taunting him more and more the longer he left it; the guilt was unbearable.
“Look, I need to apologise,” Jack began.
Silence.
He continued. “I wasn’t in the best frame of mind last night and –“
“I have to interrupt you, Jack,” a man’s voice replied, a hint of laughter in his voice. “I don’t know that I want to be aware of the activities which took place when you weren’t in your ‘right’ state of mind, as much as I’m curious.” A wave of heat began to creep up from underneath Jack’s shirt, covering his neck and face. “Oh, Mike, it’s you,” he said, feeling rather awkward. “I thought you were, uh, someone else.”
“Yes, I presumed you had.” Mike chuckled. “As far as I remember, I spent most of last night catching up on paperwork – alone.”
This was dangerous territory; he wasn’t about to explain what had happened last night, much less to his boss, so he needed to change the topic. “Look, is something the matter? I’m kind of busy at the moment.”
“Alright, alright, I didn’t mean to aggravate the situation,” Mike apologised. “I only called because something has come up and it means rearranging the travel plans we had originally organised for you.” “Oh, really?” Jack asked cautiously. “What exactly came up?
“Well, it’s good news for the company. A new client came on board a short time ago and has requested a portfolio of shots from China,” his boss explained. “They are currently making plans to distribute a substantial amount of promotional material to the public in the coming months; all to do with a new travel package to China.”
Jack’s heart fluttered with this news. “China? That’s new. I can’t think of any current clients which have requested pictures of China before. At least not in the six years I’ve been working for you.”
“Yes,” Mike agreed. “I can’t say I’ve been there too many times myself, either. Beautiful place, though, absolutely stunning and I’m sure you’re going to love it there.” That night, as Jack lay in bed, he finally felt happiness seeping back into every crevice of his body. He had something to look forward to again instead of focusing on the disappointment in himself which seemed to follow him everywhere.
China! The word swirled around his mind like a bird trying to break free. He had never been there before and if he was honest, he had previously never given much thought to visiting that side of the world. But now that it was no longer merely a notion – he would, in fact, be arriving in China in less than two weeks – the excitement had already begun bubbling away inside him. One small thing was still niggling at him, though. Sylvia. Mike had told him that he would now be leaving France tomorrow night, more than a week earlier than originally planned. But how could he leave without speaking to Sylvia? It just didn’t feel right; she at least deserved an explanation, no matter how guilty Jack felt. So, that’s exactly what Jack found himself doing the next morning. Having already taken his hire scooter back, he was left to walk the short distance to Sylvia’s house. It came as a blessing rather than a curse because the sun was out, large and bright, and the atmosphere again had an air of happiness about it. This was possibly due to the fact that Jack’s own temperament had changed overnight, knowing that he would soon be jetting off again and would no longer be left to simmer in his guilt ridden conscience.
Rapping his knuckles on the door – once, twice, three times – he suddenly realised that he hadn’t even considered whether Sylvia was home or not. He groaned and rolled his eyes before chuckling at how foolish he was. Of course, it was not like she was going to be waiting by the door for him. No, he was sure she had better things to do. *******************
Sylvia struggled with her desire to see Jack again and knowing that it would only make things worse. She wanted to open the door and rush into his arms … feel his arms around her once more; but she knew it was impossible. If she opened up that door where Jack stood, insistently knocking, she would be met with apologetic eyes and a smile that would shatter her dreams even further. No, it was in her best interests to leave that door firmly shut.
There was no denying it hurt, knowing not only her dreams but also a friendship would be lost, but there was no other way to avoid it. A third knock rang out through the house and it seemed to echo on forever in her mind. She could almost picture Jack standing only meters away from her, his arm falling back down to rest by his side … about to walk away. She gritted her teeth and turned away, making her way to the kitchen to cry over a hot cup of tea.
********************* Arriving back in Riverview was a breath of fresh air, much to the surprise of Jack. Yes, he had been looking forward to getting home after the disappointing trip to France but he had never arrived home from any trip feeling this good. Was it because he knew he was only going to be here for a short time? Probably, but he wasn’t going to dissect his feelings when there was no need to.
The first thing he did after dumping his luggage in his room was change into his board shorts and jump effortlessly into his glistening pool. It was this pool that had been the deciding factor when he bought this house over three years ago. Not only did it make the house look incredible, especially at night, but it was his salvation during the cruel heat of the Australian summer. The pool also kept Jack’s abs firm and sculpted without him ever having to break a sweat. It didn’t get him out of weight training altogether but he didn’t feel obliged to do it every day if he could get into the pool instead.
As his powerful arms pummeled through the water, he got into a rhythm and began to relax, drifting off into the wide world that was his mind. He thought of Shauna, he thought of Sylvia, and he thought how unlucky in love he had been and probably always would be. People always said the same thing, ‘You know when you’ve met The One….love will hit you like a ton of bricks’. Maybe not in those words exactly, but that was the general idea. And Jack was starting to wonder if he would ever meet The One. He wanted to, more than anything, but if it wasn’t meant to be….it wasn’t meant to be. After uploading a few photos from his camera later that night, he reluctantly logged in to his email account. He knew he had probably accumulated a substantial amount of emails since he had last checked but that was always the way. He figured that there was always going to be emails so he would rather go through them in one hit every so often than be constantly sorting through them every day. This irritated his sister to no end; she just couldn’t understand how he could let his emails sit in there for so long without checking them.
It was no surprise then that Jack scrolled down the page and spotted an email – dated five days ago – from his supportive big sister, Lucilla. It read:
Jack, we haven’t seen you for awhile. Just checking in to make sure you’re still alive - using your favourite method of communication, of course. The boys are missing you, as always, so come on over for dinner when you’re in town and free for the night. Would love to catch up.
Love your big sis, Lucy
xxx
The message was short but sweet and Jack was grateful that Lucy often spared him a thought. She very rarely had a moment to herself and still she found time to fit him into her busy life. He adored his nephews, Harry and Oscar, but talk about two bundles of energy! Jack didn’t know how Lucy kept up with them. He made a mental note to call her tomorrow and arrange a time they could have dinner before he jetted off again. Jack awoke to a soul cleansing silence the next morning after a night of ridding himself of jet lag. A light breeze crept through an opening in his blankets and he fought the urge to pull them up to his chin and close his eyes for another few hours. There was nothing stopping him from doing so but he knew himself well – getting an early start to the day was always best.
After a breakfast of six weet-bix, he set off for town on his trusty bicycle. It only took him ten minutes this way so it wasn’t worth taking the car out. The day outside was perfect anyway and he enjoyed the fresh air flowing through his well rested body. His first stop in town was the grocery store where he needed to stock up on some much needed food supplies. He’d had to use powdered milk this morning with his cereal and although he wasn’t fussy, he much preferred the taste of fresh, cool milk. It wasn’t unusual for him to drink several glasses of it each day.
Stepping back out onto the pavement just outside the store entry, Jack took a moment to survey his surroundings and a sudden thought took him by surprise. Wasn’t it odd that he knew more people by face and name at Champs Les Sims than in his own home town? He had never noticed it before now, but strangely that was the case. With a confounded look on his face, he continued down the street where he knew he would soon arrive at the book store. He wanted to learn as much as he could about China and the Chinese culture before he found himself immersed in it for real. He wanted to know everything; the fascinating history of the country, the traditions – both old and new – which the Chinese people take part in, the places he should most definitely visit, and about the Chinese people themselves.
It was no different for Jack wherever he went; it was the locals of any island, any city, any country that made the experience for him. They sealed the deal. How could there be a culture or traditions if there were no locals to create them? He found that if they had a love and passion for their homeland, that feeling became contagious. “Hey stranger, you’re back already?”
He looked up, startled from his thoughts. Baby, blue eyes were boring into him, searching him for the answer they were after.
“Shauna…hi.” His voice was almost unrecognizable, it came out more like a timid squeak. He wasn’t expecting to see anyone he knew on his short trip out, least of all Shauna. To be honest, he wasn’t planning on advising her at all that he was back in the country for a short while but it looked like that notion had gone right out the window along with his voice. One of her perfectly manicured eyebrows slowly rose as her eyes remained fixed on him. “When did you get back?”
Jack tried to compose himself, shaking himself of the surprise Shauna’s unexpected presence brought to him. “Uh, yesterday. I was going to call but….”
“I know, you had things to do,” she replied, disdainfully. “Well, I’m glad I ran into you. How long are you home for?”
“I’m off again next week so not long, unfortunately.” Or fortunately, Jack thought. With a nod, she said, “Look, I think you can agree with me that we need to talk … we’ve probably needed to for awhile. Do you think we could catch up some time before you jet off again? Maybe lunch on Saturday?”
Jack hoped he was concealing his surprise as well as he thought he was. It was a very rare occasion that Shauna actually wanted to just … talk. Something was up but could it be that she was finally starting to feel the distance between herself and Jack and was going to do the one thing that he couldn’t? A guy can dream, at least.
“Ok, sure.” He smiled. “Do you want to meet at a restaurant or … ?”
“No, I’ll meet you at yours,” Shauna broke in. “Don’t go out of your way to make anything special, I’m fine to eat whatever you serve up.”
Don’t worry, I won’t, Jack thought mockingly. “Alright, well I guess I’ll see you then. Feel free to pop around about noon and I’ll have something ready.” Walking home in a cloud of daze, it wasn’t until he got home that Jack realised he had completely forgotten to go to the bookstore after he ran into Shauna. Understandable, of course, but he still sighed inwardly. He didn’t particularly feel like venturing out again today so decided the internets’ resources would have to suffice for now.
He deposited himself onto the couch and leant forward, his hands clasped as he rested his head. A dull ache was forming behind his temples as his mind fought to come up the reason he had sensed an oddness about Shauna earlier. She was clever – coming across like that and making him wait all week to find out what she needed to see him about. It was definitely going to play on his mind until Saturday arrived but he knew there was nothing else to do … but wait.
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23 Comment(s) posted so far
On Sep 2, 2010 martoele wrote:
Sam...... don't have us waiting so long for the next chapter.... you hear? We've been missing you a lot and almost forgot how beautifully you write.
Jack is a handsome guy who doesn't pay much attention to really find other half. It seems all like 'easy come, easy go'. Just doesn't have the interest of breaking with Shauna and doesn't want to break the friendship with Silvie. She seems such a nice girl for him. Sigh.... but I suppose that I'll have to wait a few months for the next installment. 
By the way: congratulations on having the story featured! 
~ Margo
On Sep 2, 2010 urm0m wrote:
Great second part Sam
Welcome back!!!
On Sep 2, 2010 Desu Baloney wrote:
welcome back, sam!! great story. : )
On Sep 2, 2010 Suavie wrote:
Great second part! Poor Sylvia,
Hopefully Jack will realize what's right infront of him. 
Can't wait for the next part!
On Sep 2, 2010 Lisa 86 wrote:
Love this story! I never read much sim stories, but this is seriously fantastic. I can't wait for the next part!
On Sep 3, 2010 Jennifer_R wrote:
Great second chapter, Sam! So good to read about Jack and his trials of love.
He is such a cutie. I have a feeling that Shauna is up to something though or maybe she is just er, !@$% teasing him! lol Making him wait a week until they meet up again! I think Sylvia must know Jack better than he knows himself, she should have opened the door and expressed her love for him. Oh well, now he's going to China and she will have longer to wait until she see's him again. Wonderful writing! 
On Sep 3, 2010 YrS92 wrote:
Great chapter Sam
I was kinda surprised to see another chapter, I had been thinking that you weren't going to continue it... Good thing you are going to continue, this is such a wonderful story
Now I can't wait for the next part, I really want to know what the conversation is about... You are such a brilliant writer
Congrats on getting it featured
On Sep 3, 2010 mogan44 wrote:
I was waiting for this story for so long!
Congrats on being featured, love your writing! I do feel sorry for Sylvia though 8(
On Sep 3, 2010 fredbrenny wrote:
((((Sam))))
GOOD to have you back! I think Jack should quit procrastinate all issues that are troubling his mind. Don't leave the ladies hanging on! Be honest! Can't wait to see what Shauna has to say! 
On Sep 4, 2010 spitzmagic wrote:
well then it seems that we will have to wait right along with Jack...to find out what she has has to say. Congratulations on the featured story (((Sam))) it was as thrilling as ever...great looking sims, wonderful screens. Clap Clap Clap. *squeal* .
On Sep 4, 2010 Illandrya wrote:
Oh, for goodness sake, Jack, be a man! Sitting around waiting for the ladies to make the moves isn't going to find you The One. Phew, now that I've gotten that out of the way ... how could you possibly have kept us waiting so long for this gorgeous, lush new chapter! The scenery, both in words and pictures, was breathtaking, I could feel Sylvia's heartache, Jack's indecision and restlessness, the romanticism of the French countryside. Bravo! I want more please
On Sep 5, 2010 flody888 wrote:
Jack is really getting in his own way when it comes to finding love. I wonder why? Totally agree that he is a cutie too. Congrats on being featured!
On Sep 5, 2010 chanchan12 wrote:
Ahhh yet another GREAT story by Sam. But the thing is I can't wait until the next part comes out, you do know how to leave a person thinking of what could happen next!!
On Sep 6, 2010 age1116523 wrote:
Wonderful story!!! Keep up the great work!
On Sep 7, 2010 drewsoltesz wrote:
I love how you kept the POV on Jack, wonderfully written, very enjoyable, look forward to more~
On Sep 8, 2010 ajcool10 wrote:
Amazing writer
On Sep 9, 2010 Midnight222 wrote:
Pfft Jack, man up! Hiding from Sylvia and nervous around Shauna without the guts to confront her himself and hoping she will do the hard work! Hopefully Sylvia will fly to China to 'get over' and meet up with Jack and hopefully he wont be such a dolt! Looking forward to the next chapter as always
On Sep 11, 2010 Mangio wrote:
You captured everything perfectly
It's so well written and shot, i was in the shoes of your characters. Can't wait for the next chapter 
I'm intrigued, will Sylvia get the love of her life? Why doesn't Jack see that she's the one??? I guess it's the nature of romance :P
On Sep 11, 2010 macandiredd wrote:
I hope this is going to be another GREAT STORY!!!!!
On Oct 12, 2010 jonial wrote:
i feel like i am reading my boyfriend's story. i love it
On Dec 13, 2010 wrote:
thank you
On Jan 1, 2011 FantasyPearl wrote:
Great chapter! I can't wait for the next one - I'm sure it will be absolutely amazing. Keep up the good work! xoxo - FantasyPearl
On Mar 8, 2011 emilymarie0201 wrote:
i love this story
i hope you continue it! 