Real Life, Real Love.
Holden felt a new surge of energy, now that Gwen had validated his feelings. He decided to apply for a part-time job, to contribute more to the household, and to show Gwen that he could provide for her, (and a family?), while still writing his masterpieces and becoming a famous author.
Holden biked downhill, all the way to the center of Riverview, where he would take any job he could to start bringing money in.
But first, he attended a special writing seminar that Gwen had found advertised in the paper a few days ago and had cut out, showing it to him, knowing he would be interested in attending. Holden, carefully reading the description, decided it was worth the 400 simoleons to attend, and Gwen had posted the advertisement to the kitchen cork-board so that Holden would see it every day, and not forget about it. He had a history of forgetting to go to things that he had already put down a downpayment to attend.
The Seminar was called: “So You Wrote a Book! Now What?: Surviving the Cut-throat Publishing Industry.” It ended up being time and money well spent, and Holden left with some valuable contacts and tips and hints.
Holden picked up Groceries for Gwen (She hadn’t even asked him too, he just did it to be helpful) and then kept walking, looking for “Help Wanted” signs in store windows.
Today was Holden Wozny’s lucky day, because their was a job opening at the only store he felt he had any knowledge about: The old Bookstore!
Holden see's a "Help Wanted" sign.
Although he was incredibly overqualified for the position, Holden didn’t mind. It was decent pay for very reasonable hours, and had some room for advancement. It would also give him ample time to write his novels, and to dote on Gwen!
Holden, proud and excited for the future, leaves the bookstore with a new job.
Meanwhile, Gwen had taken it upon herself to do something drastic while Holden was out all day and into the evening. She orchestrated the combining of both her things and Holden’s things, into the once-vacant masterbedroom of the home. She was pretty sure Holden would not mind coming home and discovering that they had to share a bedroom together!
Gwen had to purchase a few new things for the occassion: sheets, pillows, curtains, …and lingerie. Tonight was going to be a great night.
Gwen power-naps after re-decorating a room for Holden and her to share.
Gwen took a power-nap after all the re-decorating. She was exhausted, and excited all at the same time, and her nerves for the evening to come didn’t help, either! She didn’t catch a good amount of Zzz’s, but it was just enough for her to re-charge to get dressed, do her hair and make-up, and wait for Holden to walk in…
Ever the thoughtful friend, and now boyfriend, Holden brought home a large goldfish, in an attempts to make their house a home, and, in some weird way, make he and Gwen and the fish a family!
Holden adds a member to the family!
He named her Nimue, after the Arthurian Lady of the Lake, and set her up in the Southwestern den.
“Welcome Home, Nimue. You are going to be the best-loved pet fish in the history of pet fish, I think!” Holden convinced himself aloud, as he sprinkled fishflakes into Nimue’s bowl.
”I can’t wait for Gwen to meet you!” He continued aloud, humming as he went through the house, depositing groceries in the refridgerator, updating his phone to alert him of his new work schedule, and using the bathroom. He figured Gwen had gone out briefly. He had no idea that she was waking up in the next room, their room…
Holden's humming wakes Gwen up from her nap.
“He’s here!” Gwen whispered to herself gleefully, like a little girl. She knew she had better hurry before Holden unceremoniously wandered in the room, before she could complete putting together the full extent of the suprise!
"This is it..." Gwen softly told her reflection in the mirror, "The best night of your lives!"
Gwen donned her Gunnesaxe print vintage lingerie that she had bought at the “Antique Attic” the next town over. Silk and lace, and one of a kind, it had cost Gwen a pretty penny, but she didn’t mind, and she knew neither would Holden.
Gwen could only hope tonight was going to be as magical as she had made it seem when she “directed” the scene in her dreams. Well, even if it wasn’t incredible, they would have a lifetime to improve upon it, she reassured herself.
“No!” she said to her reflection, “Be positive! This is it, it’s going to be the best night of both of your lives!”
"Holdy! Holdy! Come and find me!" Gwen teased from the corner of their new bedroom.
Gwen situated herself in one of the far corners of the master bedroom, and called out; “Holdy! Holdy! Come and find me!”
“Gwen? You’re home?”
Holden was suprised, he thought she was out, visiting her parents, or shopping or something. He looked around. He couldn’t quite tell where her voice was coming from, so he took a wild guess and wandered down the bedroom hallway.
“Holdy, you better hurry up…” Gwen teased louder.
Holden cocked his head, almost like a spaniel. Was she behind that door? he paused, looking skeptically at the door to the unused master bedroom. Well, thats what it sounded like, and he knew Gwen well enough to realize she was up to something now!
He slowly opened the door, and peer around. The big blue room had been transformed into a regal blue and gold paradise. He saw his bedframe, dressed with new sheets…and two bedside tables, one with a guitar beside it…Gwen’s guitar, and the windows…
Holden scanned around until his eyes focused on what he thought to be the best feature in the room: Gwen Glover. She was standing there, like a ravishing Aphrodite statue, and it was all for him. He couldn’t believe his luck!
"Gwen, you look like, like a Goddess!" Holden stammered.
“Gwen, you look like, like a Goddess!” Holden gushed.
“And the room, the room is like something out of one of your mothers catalogs!” He told her. “And I mean that in a good way, a great way, I mean…Do you know what I did?”
Gwen is touched by Holden's awkward, stammering, sweet-nothings!
“What did you do, Holdy?” Gwen asked, amused by his stammering, his sweetness.
“I bought us a goldfish today while I was out, and somehow in that amount of time, you became a domesticated bombshell!” Holden laughed.
Gwen thought that was funny, too, and she laughed in spite of her being dressed in next to nothing! Every other guy she had ever been romantic with never would have thought to buy her a pet fish (she loved pets!) let alone a card! Holden had once again proved he was the most wonderful man!
“Well, I really want to see our fish, Holdy. I bet its great. Maybe you could show it to me in the morning. I kind of had other plans for tonight, if you don’t mind, that is?” she hinted.
Holden was jumping out of his skin! He loved talking to Gwen, he always had, but at this particular moment something new overcame him, something much more primal and urgent than he was used to. And the best thing about this primal urge was that he knew Gwen was going to let him act on it.
- Holden envelopes Gwen in his arms!
Holden didn’t even give Gwen a verbal response. Now was not the time for his overly-creative brain to be working, creating poetry and prose, and spouting wit and sarcasm. Now was the time for that other side of his brain to kick into high gear.
Holden began kissing Gwen madly, and she kept kissing him back.
Holden and Gwen enjoy both Love and Lust!
A little while later they were cuddling together on their new, shared bed.
“Gwen, my mother would kill me for all the things I’m thinking in my head right now!” Holden told her.
Gwen twisted her mouth slightly. That was true. Holden’s mother used to wash his mouth out with soup until he was fourteen, just for saying the word “crap”.
“Well, in that case, whatever you’re thinking, don’t say it aloud, in case word gets back to her that you were thinking bad thoughts.” Gwen teased.
"In fact, how about we don't talk about your mom right now at all?" Gwen teased Holden.
“In fact, how about we don’t talk about your mom at all right now” Gwen gently teased Holden.
Holden felt a little uncomfortable for being such an idiot and mentioning his mother during foreplay. What was he thinking? He had to think fast!
“Okay, okay. Well, maybe I can show you what Im thinking, and nobody but us will have to know about what goes on inside my head!” Holden said to Gwen.
Immedietly he felt squemish. Was that too corny a line? Was she going to suddenley regret everything about today and make a run for it, screaming the whole way out of town?
Well, whether it was corny or not, it worked. It really wouldn’t have mattered what he said, really. Gwen was just happy it was Holden she was kissing, and no other:
Holden and Gwen's big night was just getting started!
In between the heated romantic moments, Holden found a place where he could come up for air, and where he could tell Gwen the exact words he had wanted to tell her for so long, and that he knew she would be extatic to hear:
“Gwendolyn Glover, I love you” Holden said with confidence; he was more sure that he loved Gwen more than he had ever been sure about anything else.
"Gwendolyn Glover, I love you".
Gwen blinked her long eyelashes a few times. For a split second, Holden wondered if she was panicking, but she wasn’t panicking at all. She was just relishing the moment, those words, and Holden being the one to say those words. She then very seriously said to him:
“Holden Wozny, I love you more than you’ll ever know.”
And yes, it was fantastic, thank you for asking!
The night ended on an incredible high note. Gwen was wowed once again by Holden’s amazing proweress, despite his lack of experience, and Holden was just thrilled to be Gwen’s!
Holden Wozny and Gwen Glover had come a long way, but when they curled up, Gwen safe in Holden’s arms, Gwen breathing in Holden’s comforting scent, they both felt that they had never been anything less to one another than lovers.
