Come What May: a short(?) Sims story

Chapter 2

The girl closed her eyes for a moment, as her slender fingers made their way over the strings of her guitar. It was chilly that evening, with a brisk wind, but the Spice Festival had still attracted a decent crowd.

She heard a clinking sound at her feet, and she opened her eyes at the sound. Cameron had tossed ten Simoleons into her guitar case. She acknowledged Cam's tip with a brief, brilliant smile, one Cam swore he'd seen somewhere before.

"She's really good." The voice of Cameron's friend, Duncan, broke his reverie. Duncan, a Newcrest neighbor, had invited Cameron out to try some curry at the Spice Festival. The food was good--Cameron hoped he'd acquire enough tolerance for spicy foods to truly appreciate it--and the entertainment was a delightful bonus.

The musician finished her song. She set her guitar down, and ran her fingers through her blonde hair. Spotting Cameron and Duncan, she smiled again.

"You're very talented." Cameron, who was naturally outgoing, found the composure to compliment the girl's performance.

Again, he swore he'd seen that smile before. "Thank you very much. I'm glad you enjoyed the music."

"I'm Cameron Ross, and this is Duncan Edwards."

"Hi. I'm Sofia Bjergsen."

THAT's where I've seen that smile, Cameron concluded. It's mostly her mom's, with a little bit of her dad's. She has his eyes, too.

"Hi, Sofia. I've met your mom and dad."

Sofia playfully rolled her eyes. "I'm really sorry," she replied quickly, with a playful grin. "I better not talk too loudly, though. Dad's over there." She motioned in the direction of a food stall, where Bjorn was chatting with two other men while he finished off a plate of pork adobo.

Duncan and Cameron grinned, and Cameron tilted his head Bjorn's way. Bjorn responded with a nod of his own.

"It's really nice meeting you," Sofia smiled softly. "It's time for my next set. Maybe we can talk again sometime."

"I'd like that."

Cam and Duncan listened to Sofia play a bit longer, before the lure of the Thai food stall was too strong to resist. They ordered their dishes and sat down at a picnic table to enjoy them.

"Sofia is cute," Duncan observed between bites of Pho.

Cameron nodded. "She's a really good guitarist, too."

"She couldn't stop smiling at you."

"Maybe she likes smiling. Besides, I tipped her. She was just being nice."

Duncan shook his head. "Say what you want. I saw what I saw."

"Since when did you become an expert on romance, Dunc?"

Duncan smiled and pointed to the ring on the third finger of his left hand. "Here are my credentials," he teased. In matters of love, Duncan had indeed been good, lucky, or both. His wife, Molly, was quiet and charming. Their toddler daughter, Rosalie, was absolutely adorable.

Cameron laughed. "It doesn't matter anyway. She's just a teenager."

Romance wasn't high on Cameron's list of priorities, anyway. He had met several attractive women since he'd arrived in town. He had briefly flirted with Kathleen, the bubbly yoga instructor at the Perfect Balance spa...while Kathleen had been flirting with everyone in their class. Long story short: Cameron wanted to establish himself as a writer before he entertained thoughts of love.

"One day, you'll meet The One, mate. Until then, consider me your wingman."

"I'm in good hands," Cameron replied.