CHAPTER 44: Cherchez L'Homme

 

No more messing around today....Suzy Kent was fed up with the lack of a love life. Every guy she met was either taken, obsessed with their work or flaky. There HAD to be some eligible bachelors in Sim City but where? It was time she stopped getting sidetracked by her own work and investigations because she was meant to be this hip, swinging mod chick and yet she had the look but not the lifestyle. Today was the day where that would change!

The first part of the plan was to be in the right physical and mental state so it was a trip down to the spa where she had booked in a yoga and exercise session. She had purchased spa membership months ago but had seldom taken advantage of it but today she was a girl with a purpose. Arriving at the spa, she pinned her hair up and changed into her favourite pink sparkly leotard and ballet tights; a legacy of when she was almost serious about becoming a ballerina before deciding on a career in journalism.

"And breathe in....stretch both legs out....breathe out....now on to your stomachs...." the instructor's calm voice guided the yoga class through their bends, stretches and poses. "Now we'll assume a position known as the crouching vole..." Suzy put her old ballet skills to good use as she could get into position a lot easier than her fellow classmates.

After the session, she had a little time in the sauna to cleanse the pores and focus her mind on what she had to do...meet a cute guy. When she was ready, she changed back into her street clothes, reapplied her make up, dabbed some perfume on and was ready to go! She'd heard of a swinging new club called the Lame Duck and decided that was the place to check out.

Her excitement at checking the place out met with disappointment when she went inside....apart from the bartender it was all women and middle aged women at that. This wasn't a swinging nightclub, it was a neighbourhood knitting circle!

Suzy stuck it out there in the hope things would improve and she had some nice chats with the ladies there but it took the time to have a couple of drinks before things started to liven up. More people...and men this time...started to show up and hit the dance floor. Although it wasn't classical ballet, Suzy could do a mean go-go dance.

The vibe was definitely improving but things came crashing down when some policemen showed up, telling everyone that the club had to temporarily shut down because of a report of a safety violation. Suzy couldn't think what that could be but when she saw that next to the police was the malevolent presence of Edna Sneedly, the town prude. She wanted all nightclubs in Sim City shut down and Suzy guessed that this "violation" was nothing but a trumped up excuse by Edna and her husband to get their way. As all the patrons trudged out of the club, she overheard a couple of them saying "well, at least the Romance Festival is still on tonight". Yes! The Romance Festival! The last refuge of the romantically desperate!

The festival was slow going at first...it always was...and Suzy got into a pleasant conversation with a local artist when she noticed a familiar person waving to her to grab her attention.

"Suzy! Suzy! It's me, Neil Humphries! Do you remember me?" said the young man calling to her.

"Hello Neil, of course I remember you" replied Suzy, walking over to him. Neil was a cute and talented young artist but very, very uptight. She liked him but wished he'd loosen up a little.

"So you've got a selection of paintings for sale" she said. "All your work?"

"All original Neil Humphries" he said, proudly. "Which one do you like the best?"

"Hmmmm....I like this one" it was a scene of an old stone cottage in winter.

"Would you like it? It's yours, free" said Neil.

"Oh no, I couldn't take it for free...let me pay for it" she said.

"How about a discount in exchange for a nice review in your magazine?"

"You drive a hard bargain, Neil" she said, smiling at him.

"Done" he said, taking the painting down and wrapping it for her in brown paper.

"So...you're back at the festival I see?" said Suzy, starting to warm to this guy.

"Oh...well...I don't care for that whole, you know...erm...romance stuff" he said, awkwardly.

"And yet you keep coming back" said Suzy, starting to playfully tease him. "I think you might protest too much"

"Well...it's a nice location here" he said, looking around.

"How about we go and see what's happening?" she said, trying to get him to buckle.

"Over there with all the flowers, hearts and dancing?"

"Why not?"

"Because it's...."

"Because it's what?" said Suzy, batting her eyelashes. "What are you afraid of?"

"Well...if you put it THAT way..." said Neil, caving in. Suzy grabbed his hand and they ran over to the festival.

"Sakura tea" said Suzy. "They say it unleashes your mind....helps with creativity, inspiration and...passions. Let's have some!"

"Creativity...inspiration....and *gulp!* passion...sure!" said a very nervous Neil.

They both drank a cup of Sakura tea and soon felt its effects. Neil definitely loosened up and Suzy felt a warmth and desire for her new, uptight friend.

"What I need to boost my art is a muse!" he said, boldly.

"Uh-huh" said Suzy, batting her eyelashes at him again.

"A beautiful lady like you....Oh my gosh! What am I saying here!" said Neil, barely able to contain the flirty vibe.

"Go with it, Neil" she replied.

"Actually I need to go to the toilet!" he said "be right back!" he added before bolting to the public bathrooms.

Suzy sighed...Neil was cute but needed working on. Was it worth it? Well, time would tell.

"Hi Suzy" said another voice. It was Barbara Dubois, Jeremy Saint's girlfriend.

"Barbara! Are you here with Jeremy?" she said, happy to see the woman who had brought joy to her next door neighbour's life.

"Yes, he's just getting us some tea but there's a bit of a queue right now"

"So I hear you guys have made it official...as a couple?"

"Yep...we're officially going steady and...well...before he returns I've got to say he's FANTASTIC!" said an excited Barbara.

"What? Fantastic in...."

"YES! Oh my goodness it was the best!"

Suzy stamped her feet and clenched her fists in excitement. She wanted to ask more but Jeremy was on his way back with the teas.

Suzy said hello to Jeremy but knew what effect that tea would be having on her friends and she didn't want to become a third wheel. Fortunately Neil returned from his trip, still looking confident.

"I'm glad you talked me into coming tonight" he said to her.

"Well, it's good to take the plunge occasionally" she replied.

She looked over at Jeremy and Barbara once more...they were already snuggling up together on a bench and whispering sweet nothings and she wondered if Neil was the man who she could do that with as well. It was slow going, and he was still a little tense around her but time would tell. She also wondered if Sakura Tea was available in the shops.