It is said that those who fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it. In the case of Ray Mason, it’s not will he learn from his past but can he do so in time? Ray is growing older with each passing day and the golden years are just around the corner. A redemption arch might have already come and gone for him but then again stranger things have happened.
All Ray ever wanted was to pursue his dream job as a hall of famer athlete, have lots of money, a hot wife, and sure, why not, have a family. Is that too much to ask for? So far he’d accomplished a rough estimate of two and a half parts of his dreams. Although he’s spent most of his days at work sitting on benches, and not playing very well when he is sent in, he is technically, living his dream job… Sort of. He landed the hot wife and even started a family. That family did have a small amount of money to comfortably live off of but that was mostly due to his wife Mandy’s constant promotions. He wouldn’t have minded as much if only he could get a little more encouragement from the home front. Mandy says he’s lazy although she used the word laid back, he knew what she meant. He’d be famous by now if his family was rooting more for him instead of rolling their eyes.
He didn’t expect to never be able to see his wife either who was always working. That left Ray a lot of nights spent alone by himself, with his kid, and the kid needed so many things, like all the time! But what about Ray? What about his needs dammit! That’s when Alaina moved into town. He can’t seem to remember exactly when it was they met but, it feels like forever. She made him laugh, had a good time and generally she makes him feel more like a man. She believed in his dreams… That also was before the divorce.
Now everything’s so weird. Not having anywhere to go once Mandy kicked Ray out for being with someone who was actually around and took care of his needs, Ray schmoozed his way into bunking into Alaina’s spare bedroom. This was all just supposed to be fun and games, Ray wasn’t meant to be a serious relationship and no one was meant to get hurt. He does feel sort of bad for stepping out on his now ex-wife and he admits that there were probably better ways to handle it, but what’s past is in the past right? And so the wheel turns…
Our week starts like every week starts, on a Monday at five in the morning.
Ray leaves for work at 8am as a starter in the athletic career. He only has one charisma skill point but it’s one point too little for a promotion as well as lacking a couple of body skill points. Sleepily he hops onto his tread mill and starts his workout. Thoughts of an island vacation drift around lackadaisically in his head and start to sound really nice. Ray keeps going until he earns that body skill point he wants. By then the carpool pulls up and without ever saying a good morning to the woman he loves, goes off to start another same day as yesterday at work.
Alaina on the other hand, has the day off from work and uses it to boost her friendships within town. So far she’s gotten really close with Richard Bellamy, Timothy Chesterfield and Kevin Light . Alaina has also gotten chummy with her first female friend as well, Daria Parker and would really like to be seen as someone who doesn’t only have male friends. This author does speculate though, that there does seem to be a ring of gentlemen that might or might not be the ones responsible for protecting Alaina’s identity and good name from becoming mud all over town.
Alaina was recently burglarized and Ray is seen in town as a knight in shinning armor for moving in and offering that masculine protection. Sure there are a few side eyes at Alaina at her possibly being the other woman that broke up The Masons but no one dare say it aloud. She appreciates all of the anonymity and protection but that does seem to come at the cost of now also being responsible for Ray’s responsibility. She does love him, she does truly, but it’s all moving so fast and living together has expedited all of those quirks you once found endearing into more annoyances. The spiciness of being part of a secret marital affair is exciting because of the troupe is supposed to play out. The husband will never leave his wife for you and eventually things must come to an end. Now all Alaina has is heartburn.
When Alaina isn’t talking on the phone, she’s taken to browsing the forms to talk about art. Funny enough, she starts talking to a local right here in town, Sarah Tercel! They hit it off right away and Alaina can’t help but just want to be her friend.
Alaina goes to the easel to take some thing to think. She can do this, she just needs some perspective, some sort of inspiration for a reason on how to get to know Sarah better. Then it hit her like a bag full of Simoleans on the head. Eureka! A Party! It’s all so simple and obvious that she berates herself for not realizing it before. Little does Alaina know, Ray also has some ulterior motives of “just talking” to other women, Daria Parker being one of them!
Maybe it was the black cat, as athletes are very superstitious after all, but when Ray came home, thoughts of all other women disappeared from his mind and he sauntered on over to Alaina. She heard him come through the door and as she turned her head she saw him swagger on over. He asked how her day was and offered to massage those tired looking shoulders. This author notes as a reminder that once again Ray only has one charisma skill point but boy does he know how to use it.
(Don’t forget to use the arrow’s to scroll through some of the pictures going forward!!)
Alaina melts and stretches her back as it relaxes. Honestly she never really did stand a chance for what was about to happen next. He turned on the music and pulls her in close for a slow tantalizing dance. Ray puts his head on her shoulders and every annoying thought she had about him vanishes. This man is loving, thoughtful and kind, Alaina thought to herself. Right then and there she found herself to be the luckiest woman in all of Disarray Harbor. No other man was as romantic as Ray and that was a fact!
All of a sudden, she gave out a yelp of surprised. Ray had given Alaina’s bum a little bit of a squeeze and smiled from ear to ear in a way that was not at all subtle of what he was implying. Like the scene from the movie The Wedding Singer, she reached down and joined in, amused.
Ray dipped her in a deep and passionate kiss as they began to make out. I wish I could say it ended here but there was a lot of kissing and it drug on to a disgustingly annoying amount of time. At some point it did have to end and Alaina paused to catch her breath. Ray’s phone rang as Alaina paused to use the restroom. It was Kristen Gallagher!
As Ray romanced Alaina, he began to think about talking to those other women once again. But once he had what he wanted, having the luckiest opportunity to talk to Kristen who reached out to him no less, he suddenly didn’t want it anymore. Damned if you do and damned if you don’t am I right? And they say women can’t ever make up their minds. He could hear the water running coming from the bathroom as Alaina entered the bath and thought “Well… it would be rude not to have a friendly conversation. It’s not like I’m doing anything else after all. Those cheating days are behind me.” If you were snickering, don’t worry, so was I.
“One, two, race you!” They shouted together as they raced under the covers. Ray was never one for using protective gear on the courtyard and he wasn’t interested in wearing protection now. Which was mighty unfortunate as a faint jingle of a lullaby played in the distance.
Alaina stared outside her window the next morning while Ray took a shower. She stared at the never ending downpour of rain and thunder, wondering if it was a sign. Not getting the answer’s Alaina needed, she took to her computer to distract herself with art. Is art imitating life or is life imitating art? she thought. Alaina didn’t know.
Last night was exactly the kind of encouragement and support Ray always said he needed. Inspired, he ran to the mirror to practice to the coach exactly why he deserved to be an All Star. He could talk to people, the cameras, the press all day. All night too if needed! He dreamed about all the ladies he would meet, who would want to kiss him and even more who would want to woohoo with. Not saying that he would but that he could.
With the kind of confidence only someone like the type of man Ray can be, he invited Kristen out. Not as a date no, never. But a friendly trip to the city would be… hospitable. Especially as she took the time to call him last night after all. Kristen wasn’t interested.
Ray went out anyway. He could stop by the gym and get a work out in. He watched a woman walk inside and hop onto a treadmill. She could feel his eyes on her and no matter how long Ray stared, the woman ignored her. Please go away, she thought to herself. That was okay, was what Ray was thinking. I can wait. And wait he did. For far too long that in anyway form would be considered appropriate. “Machine’s all yours!” the woman said as she hopped off. Ray couldn’t hide his disgust. He didn’t know if it was the stench emitting from her so punnet it quaffed off of her body in thick green gulps of smoke or if he just didn’t ever see her face this whole time.
Ray immediately ran out the door as fast as possible and nearly fell into another woman. “No harm done!” said the woman and went on her way. He smiled and took an instant liking to her.
Ray sat down and bought a bag of chips at the vending machine. It wasn’t enough though to quell is anger. The rejection today brought up past memories of being ejected out of his marriage. He blew off some steam on the machine’s till he was calm. Everything was going to be all right after all. He was dwelling on the past when he should be focused on the future! Relaxed now, Ray washed away all the grime and sweat off of him in the showers, called a taxi and went back home.
Meanwhile at home, Alaina cooked some breakfast, a delicious stack of buttered pancakes. After cleaning up, she rubbed her neck. I must have really thrown my back out last night, she thought. Alaina laid down on the couch but not for long.
The doorbell rang. Alaina got up to see who it was. Her brief rest had brought her a little bit of comfort to her neck and back but she had wished she had a few more hours to lay down. “Oh my god!” Alaina squealed when she saw who it was. She pulled Timothy Chesterfield into a deep hug. It had been… awhile since they last… never mind, she didn’t want to think about it. It was so awkward.
But Tim thought otherwise. He pulled her in to kiss her and for a moment Alaina forgot herself. “Tim no,” she said pulling herself back. Suddenly, she felt a deep rumbling coming from inside her body. Suddenly, Alaina didn’t feel so well. “Are you okay?!” Tim asked Alaina. He didn’t understand why Alaina pulled away like that. He knew that she was aware of why they had had to keep their former relationship under wraps but thought it was strange when she saw less and less of him after both of their best friend Ray moved in.
“I just need to lay down,” she said and went back inside. Tim followed her. This is awkward, Tim thought as Alaina stared off into nothing. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he ventured. “Yes,” she replied. “Actually… I need to be heading to work. Thanks for stopping by… well… see you.” This author does promise to write about the love affair between Tim and Alaina at some point.
Two hours later, Ray returned home to an empty house and a flaming bush. He was more annoyed about the empty house. Mandy hadn’t waited for him before leaving!
Well.. that was fine. He could use this time to calling Kristen Gallagher again. She picked up and they talked for awhile. He wanted to continue their conversation from last night and possibly meeting up one night too. “Hold on, I’ll call you back Kristen, I’m getting another phone call.” Ray hung up and answered the other line. “Hello…??” he said into the receiver. “Oh….” he whispered. “Yes… I see,” he continued. “Uh huh. Yes, I know that the three of us are in this forever. Uh huh… Yes… Okay… Goodnight.” and with that Ray hung up the phone.
Ray didn’t feel like talking. He made himself dinner and enough for leftovers for Alaina when she came home back from work. See, he was always so thoughtful you guys. A very nice man. A gentleman if you will. After dinner, he cleaned up and tucked himself into bed where he had very peaceful dreams that night.
Alaina on the other hand, was having a wonderful night at work. A rival had appeared but she was no coward. Or very nice for that matter. Alaina used that outgoing confidence and slightly better athletic body than her rival, to show who was the clear winner.
As Alaina got out of the car coming home, she felt a pop and kick in her stomach. Alaina was pregnant! Dun dun dun!!!!
That’s it for Chapter Two. My name is Sarah and thank you so much for getting to the end and enduring my overly prosey and cheesy attempts at romantic writing. I in no way shape or form think this is good other than mildly entertaining. I hope you stay around for Chapter Three, to be posted as soon as I can but minimally one chapter a week is my goal. Chapter Two did take me longer than I thought it would to write it. Thank you to RecklessJerry for their creating the neighborhood to begin with, letting me know about a couple of oversights I missed and for the funny off chance some we shared similar and unintended game play from Chapter One.
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Until Next Time
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