Not very far away from Chester’s place lived Ilona. Lately she was only living for her work. She immigrated from Valverde near SimCity to Sunset Valley in New Simland, leaving her family behind. That was a few years ago. Although she still had contact with her brothers, here she was always alone.
When her new neighbor told her that he had seen her more often at the bistro, she felt kind of awkward. “I must be getting old, that I don’t even notice the presence of a nice young man” she thought as she went to bed.
She had a dream as well…. She dreamt that she saw the face of Deirdre, “Mistress of Forgotten History” who had been very kind to her. Deirdre said that she ought to care a bit more of her appearance; that she was a young woman and not only working and footing could fill her whole existence. She needed to have company. Of course she forgot her dream the moment she woke up.
After having a shower she looked at herself in the mirror and thought: “I’m going to the hairdresser and afterwards I’ll buy myself new clothes.” It had been a long time since she hadn’t bought anything new. Why? For her work she always wore a uniform and when not working, she was footing.
When she took another look in the mirror, she was pleased with the change. The girl at PeggyZone had done a good job. She felt younger.
It was Saturday and she wouldn’t start her work again before Monday. There was something special in the air and she put some of her new clothes on.
She didn’t feel like reading, footing or watching television. She wanted to do something else. She restless. Right at that moment, she had a phone call.
It was Chester. After chatting a bit he told her that he had the weekend off and he thought that she might like to accompany his for a stroll at the seaside. She accepted his invitation.
She quickly got a taxi and went to the meeting point. As she walked towards the beach she wondered where Chester was. She did not see him but he had spotted her right away and called her to wait for him.
When she saw him she noticed that he looked younger and better than last evening. They greeted each other and continued the chat they had started the day before.
Well, as a matter of fact, she was talking. Chester was unable to find words because he was very impressed by the way she looked and his heartbeat had become irregular…
When he opened his mouth to say something, the first thing he asked was if she was married or going steady. He could hit himself on the head for asking that but he was happy when she answered him that she was single.
They found out that they had much in common and when not speaking, just looking to each other something sparkling from their eyes jumped over. Ilona got nervous because she had promised herself never to fall in love again. She feared an amorous relationship.
Both of them felt “different” than usual and they became shy, looking for words. Ilona was the first to be able to speak: “Well, I have to go now. Thank you for a lovely afternoon”. She left…, leaving poor Chester with a heartbeat so fast that he wasn’t able to react during some minutes.
He was so absorbed in his mind and the mystery that involved Ilona that he didn’t even notice that somebody was observing him. Somebody very envious…, who went to a big mansion to continue her work, meanwhile thinking of a way how she could take away that stupid expression from Chester’s face.
She had accepted to clean up an old house. It would only be a week’s job because the house had to be cleaned before the heiress would arrive within a few days. That’s why she worked even in the evening hours. The fact that the house stood practically on a cemetery meant nothing to her. She wasn’t afraid of ghosts. They feared her!
Ilona had left because all of a sudden she didn’t feel sure of herself.
She remembered how Chester had looked at her and she had noticed how some kind of electricity came out of his eyes to enter hers. Never before, she felt something alike. They had hugged shortly when they said good-bye.
Once and again she saw the admiration in his eyes.
She tried to analyze her feelings and was aware that she never felt the same when with Guillermo. But… why did she suffer so much when he told her that he did not want to continue their relationship?
It must have been because she felt wounded in her self-respect. Most probably it hadn’t been real love.
Now she could understand that Guillermo had truly fallen in love with someone else and she knew now that he had done well, telling her the truth.
She was thinking of Chester all of the time and she started imagining. How would it feel to be kissed by him? Just thinking of that, she felt warmth in her heart.
She obligated herself to put her attention on something else. She cleaned up the house and afterwards watched television but Chester’s face always seemed to interfere… she thought: “he isn´t that handsome.., then why am I feeling this way?”
It seems clear that Ilona had fallen in love.
In the same street, Chester was trying to analyze his feelings as well. He felt that he needed to be near Ilona, not only physically but he longed to feel her feelings, to read her mind even in the most secret corners of her thoughts.
He did not know how to handle these feeling. He just wanted to be with her and in his imagination he longed to embrace her, kiss her and he was just so afraid of his own thoughts that he was not sure if he could act in a normal way when meeting her again.
Perhaps he would scare her away… He thought that he had seen that she blushed when he had looked into her eyes and he felt if though her eyes had absorbed his deepest feelings.
He longed to be with her, every hour of the day . He would have given his life to protect her.
His mind refused to think clearly when imagining her being kissed by him…
It seems clear that our Chester had fallen in love…
Next afternoon they met without having dated; first of all at the Maritime Avenue. Both of them felt the attraction of this magical place.
It was then that Chester shyly tried to kiss her on the lips but Ilona gently refused him.
She wasn’t ready yet for this amorous manifestation but when she saw the disappointed look on his face, she made up with a friendly hug.
Chester was sorry that he had precipitated and he promised himself not to do so anymore.
They said goodbye but that was only for a short while because later in the evening they met again at the Bistro.
Chester had his dinner and when he planned to leave, he saw how Ilona was footing and she came near. They chatted for just a moment and then they went to their homes.
Next day their workweek started, so they didn’t see each other; but on Friday Chester called her inviting her to have dinner together on Saturday evening at the Bistro. Not outside but inside.
Both of them were dressed nicely and Chester felt very proud to have Ilona by his side when they entered the restaurant.
They formed a nice couple and everybody admired them. Everybody… except for one person who had that real envious look on her face and she was planning to interfere in their happiness.
She observed how Ilona came out looking very pretty and she made up her mind to interfere in their starting romance.
To be continued…
From Sims to Real Life 