Chapter 2.2: Boiling Point

Laurence meets up with Faye a few days later. He tries to apologize for leaving her alone that night, explaining that he had an early business meeting and he didn't want to wake her.

Faye doesn't buy it for one second. She dumps him then and there, vowing never to allow herself to be so easily seduced again.

It doesn't take her long to find a rebound man though. Louis Singleton just broke up with his girlfriend Yvonne and is, once again, single. Faye decides not to waste this opportunity.

"I'm really glad you and Yvonne broke up," she whispers in his ear.

Louis grins. "I only started dating her because you were off limits at the time. I wanted to tell you, Faye, but then you and Laurence hooked up..."

"I'm not off limits anymore," Faye murmurs.

He kisses her in reply.

"Be my girlfriend," he commands as they break apart.

Faye hesitates. "Was that a question or an order?" she asks.

"Come on," he urges. "You and I would be great together."

Faye frowns. She's not sure she likes the idea of being tied down right now, but she reluctantly agrees.

Anastasia is really excited that her sister has finally found someone to go steady with. She's already trying to discuss wedding plans.

"Geez Ana," Faye complains. "You are just like Mom. Did she put you up to this?! Really, did she?"

Anastasia laughs. "Don't be so paranoid, sis. I swear, Mom did not tell me to say that. I honestly just really like Louis. I think he's perfect for you."

Faye rolls her eyes. Ana is and always has been a horrible liar. "What a load of crap," she mutters as she walks upstairs to her bedroom.

Elijah pokes his head in after Faye leaves. "Well?" he asks. "What did she say?"

"I did everything you wanted, just as you wanted me to," Ana grumbles. "I hit the high points, avoided the low points, and even managed to squeeze in a line about how perfect Louis is. And yet she still won't discuss a wedding."

Elijah sighs. "I was afraid of that."

"Can I have my twenty Simoleons now?" she demands.

 Benni Blackburn, a local country musician, agrees to join Faye's band.

...Too bad they never get any gigs.

Faye doesn't mind though. She simply enjoys playing her guitar, whether or not anybody's actually listening.

Heath meets up with Faye later that night.

"I'm thinking about moving out," Faye announces as they play foosball.

Heath makes a face. "Why?!" he asks, sounding appalled.

"Cause my parents are driving me crazy! If they're not nagging me to get a job, they're nagging me to get married. I swear, it's like they don't think I'm responsible enough to make my own decisions!"

"Yeah, but think about all the perks!" Heath exclaims. "Free food, clean sheets, no bills... I wouldn't trade that for just a little more independence."

"Heath, they gave me a curfew! A goddamn curfew! They're treating me like I'm sixteen!"

"How are you going to afford it?" he demands. "May I remind you that you don't actually have any income right now..."

Faye sighs. "I know, I know. I'll figure something out though."

Faye's mom and Faye's sister. Sitting on the couch. Discussing baby names.

...Faye wonders if this kind of torture is even legal.

Heath comes over that afternoon to cheer her up. He tries to distract her by explaining the theory of relativity.

...Without uttering a single word.

"This is stupid," Faye complains irritably. " I hate charades."

After he tires of that game, Heath drags Faye with him to the local library. He wants to see if they have a copy of Leonard Prosper's book "I'm Still Cool". He swears it's for a friend.

"Who's that?" Faye asks quietly, pulling Heath aside. "I don't recognize them."

Heath turns around and gawks. "Them?" he says, pointing.

Faye's eyes widen. "Shh! Heath, be quiet!"

"Sorry," he mumbles apologetically. "That's Dr. Ryan Romulus and his wife, Genevieve. They just moved to town a few weeks ago," he explains. "Apparently, he's some big shot neurosurgeon from the city."

Faye watches them closely. She can't help but notice how fragile the woman looks. "Why would a famous doctor move to Appaloosa Plains?"

Heath leans in and lowers his voice. "I heard that his wife is dying, and he wants to give her some peace and quiet before she goes. Maybe he hopes the fresh country air will do her some good?"

Faye frowns. "Perhaps," she replies skeptically.

Faye and Louis continue seeing each other regularly. After dating for a few weeks, Faye decides that she really likes Louis. She wouldn't describe her feelings toward him as "love" exactly, but she enjoys his company well enough. He treats her so sweetly, so delicately, that sometimes she wonders how she managed to find such a nice guy.

Yet, other times, she thinks that maybe he's just a bit too nice. The way he looks at her, with such tender passion in his big brown eyes, scares her shitless. She's not ready to make the ultimate commitment, not yet anyway, and she really hopes he understands that.

Oh well. Something to worry about another day. Tonight, Faye has more important thoughts to occupy her mind.

"Sweetheart," she murmurs, attempting to sound seductive. "Do you wanna come back to my place tonight?"

Louis pulls away slightly and meets Faye's steady gaze. "But, I thought... What about your family?" he asks, confused.

Faye grins. "We'll have the whole place to ourselves. My father's at work, my sister's busy with prom, and my mom is away at a horse race. It will be just the two of us."

Louis looks pensive for a moment. "Don't you want to wait?"

She shakes her head. "Wait for what?" Faye retorts. "I'm ready now."

After her experience with Laurence, Faye is eager to try woohoo out again. This time though, she's not going to let herself get hurt. This time, she's going to be in charge. This time, Faye is certain nothing will go wrong...

"FAYE ROSALIE MCKINLEY! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!"

Scarlett's shrill screams fill the air, echoing against the pale pink walls. She turns around and covers her eyes, throwing a pile of clothes at the bed. "Get dressed this instant, child!" she shrieks as she slams the door shut.

Before Faye can even say a word, Louis is dressed and gone.

After she hears Louis leave, Scarlett marches right back into Faye's room, the image of her daughter's half naked boyfriend still burning furiously in her mind.

Faye stands there silently in a state of half shock, not ready to believe that really just happened.

Scarlett, however, does not hesitate. "God dammit, Faye! What were you thinking?!" she shouts angrily. "I can't believe you would bring a boy home to our house, a house you share with not only your father and me but your highly impressionable teenage sister! That kind of behavior is just unacceptable! Absolutely unacceptable!"

Faye clenches her teeth, fighting the urge to yell back. Finally, Scarlett leaves, telling Faye that she wants to give her time to "think about her actions".

Faye thinks about it alright, and she thinks it's time to leave. The next morning, she wakes up early and snags the newspaper, spending the better part of an hour searching through the classifieds.

One ad in particular grabs her attention. A full-time, live-in nanny position. She calls right away and schedules an interview.

Meanwhile, Anastasia celebrates her adult birthday and moves out. She and her high school boyfriend Derrick Schmidt (with the pink hair) marry the following day.

Faye shows up to the interview late. A young man, in his early to mid thirties, answers the door.

"You're late," he says, beckoning her inside.

"Yes. Sorry, I-"

"Don't," he interrupts. "I do not tolerate excuses around my house."

Faye fidgets uncomfortably. "Err, right. Okay. Sorry."

"I'm Ryan, Ryan Romulus," he tells her, extending his hand in greeting. His voice is low and serious, and Faye immediately gets the impression that this man means business.

"Dr. Ryan Romulus?" she asks, trying to maintain eye contact. She finds him oddly intimidating.

"So, you've heard of me?" he responds, without the faintest glimmer of a smile.

"Yes, I-"

"It's a small town, I suppose. I really shouldn't be surprised."

Faye waits for the questions, the interview, but Dr. Romulus just stands there silently, as though lost in his own thoughts.

"So," she says at last. "About the job..."

He clears his throat. "Right, yes. I am looking for a live-in nanny and housekeeper," he explains. "In exchange for room, board, and a weekly salary, I expect you to cook, clean, and take care of the baby. As the nanny, you will have your own bedroom and bathroom, next to the nursery, and I will give you two nights off a week. My house rules are simple. No guests, no parties, no loud music. I work a very busy and irregular schedule at the hospital, so I expect you to take full responsibility of the baby, night or day. I don't want to be bothered unless it's an emergency. Do we have a deal?"

Faye quirks an eyebrow. "Don't you want to know anything about me?" she asks. "My background, my work experience, my-"

"I ran a thorough background check before you arrived, and you come highly recommended," he tells her. Faye vaguely wonders who gave her such a glowing review, but she knows better than to ask. "Do we have a deal?" he repeats, more sharply this time.

Faye frowns. "I want to meet the baby," she announces.

"What?"

"The baby. I want to meet your baby."

Faye picks up the tiny newborn and smiles. The little girl gurgles contentedly and grabs Faye's finger. Compared to her gruff, serious father, Faye finds the child delightful.

"She's beautiful," Faye tells him. "What's her name?"

"Audrey," he says quietly.

"I'd love to work here," she says at last, laying the the baby back down in her crib. "But shouldn't your wife have a say in who you hire?"

"My wife is dead," he replies, his voice hollow and distant. "She passed away after Audrey was born."

Faye stifles a gasp. "I'm so sorry," she whispers.

Dr. Romulus ignores her. "I expect you here first thing on Monday morning. I'll have your room ready by then."

Faye nods and walks to the door, choking back the millions of questions floating around in her head. She's excited to move out, to get away from her parents, but she's not entirely sure how she feels about her new boss. He just seems so cold.

Elijah and Scarlett are thrilled with Faye's news. They can't wait to have the house all to themselves again.

Louis, on the other hand, has the opposite reaction.

"You're going to do what?!" he yells.

"I'm going to be a live-in nanny," Faye replies. "The man lost his wife, Louis, and he needs someone to care for his daughter."

"Why don't you move in with me?" he demands. "I don't like the idea of you sharing a house with a strange man."

"God, Louis. You're being ridiculous! Dr. Romulus is a well-know, highly respected doctor. You need to quit this jealousy crap."

"Did you even hear me?! Why don't you move in with me?"

Faye freezes. "Louis," she says slowly, choosing her words carefully. "I think I need a break."

"A break?" he repeats, confused.

"Yes. I think you and I need to take a break. From each other."


Challenge Notes:

Whew. That was a long chapter. I had trouble writing this one because all the major events occurred over the period of just a couple of days in game, so making the time frame seem believable in story was hard. Oh, and the scene with Scarlett and Faye. Yeah, that was awkward. Honestly, I couldn't decide whether or not to use it, because it just made me so uncomfortable! However, as the driving force behind Faye's reason for moving, I figured I just had to go for it. Sorry.

Also hard: Trying to make the live-in nanny angle work. I'm hoping that it seemed believable because I thought the concept was just too interesting not to use. However, I've never been a live-in nanny before (I did work as a nanny though for a couple of years), so I'm not sure if that's the way it actually happens. Oh, well. It's called fiction for a reason I guess. =)

As for my roll, Ryan is technically the "help" for Faye's single parent with help roll, although I kind of flipped it for the story. I didn't cheat at all to set up the scenario, but I did fudge things a bit in the story. I moved Ryan and his wife Genevieve into a random house in AP, and then once she was at about day 2 in her pregnancy I used Master Controller to add them to my household. Next, I moved Scarlett and Elijah in with Nathaniel (again using Master Controller) and had Faye sell the old house and buy the new property, officially Ryan's house. I couldn't afford the new house without selling the old one, so that's why I kicked Scarlett and Elijah out. =(

Also, I just want to make it clear that while I claim Ryan is a neurosurgeon, he's actually just an organ donor (level 1 in the medical career). Faye has not been busking at all (even though that's her career), so money is a bit tight right now. I was really hoping to do more with her band, but it's been a while and still no gigs. Seriously, EA messed that up big time.

Ryan is loosely (and I mean very loosely) cloned from Ryanne Roman from the Roman Random Legacy by Melissa (yangthecat/calisims). I made her a boy, tweaked a lot of her features, and changed her hair and eye color, so the resemblance is minimal. Ryan's house was also created by Melissa. It's a beautiful mid-century modern style home and comes highly recommended. Here's a link. The bedrooms (which you will see more of in the future) were decorated by me.

Here is my generation 3 roll:

Marital Status: Single Parent with Help (Again!)
Number of Children: 2 (Again!)
Primary Income: Music (Rock Star)
Secondary Income: Author
Generation Goal: Fufilled
Miscellaneous Fun: It's So You (Again!)