Chapter Seven

A love story, a

tangent, and a

psycho ex-stalker

with a Grand Evil Plan

all in one place!

Welcome back to Finding

Consort Redux by Kelyns!

It’s the same old silly story,

now in PowerPoint! This chapter was originally

Chapter 8, in case anyone

was wondering, and let’s

get to it. I believe we left off

with Veronica cowplanting

Dagmar and the latter

planning revenge.

Ch 7:

Fallin’ for You

~Veronica's POV~

Here I am getting ready for Goneril's and Albany’s anniversary party later today,

and let me tell you, I am one big pile of nerves. You all know my first meeting with Consort was a disaster (and if you didn't, then you should go read the previous chapters and catch up), but today was my second chance. I wanted to look my best; everything was riding on how today went. If I couldn't get Consort to like me now, there was no way I'd ever realize my dream of being Mrs. Consort Capp.

*Sigh* ...But it seems all my efforts were for naught because Consort obviously hasn't changed his feelings about me; here he is poking me before I even get in the door.

Hey, what gives, KB? I thought you were going to fix that.

I was- I mean I did! He drank a ReNuYu potion, I saw him! Everyone one saw him!

Then what's his problem?

No idea, but this ends now. I got a storyline to stick to; I don't have time for this anymore.

*Fiddles With The Cheat Box*

*Crack of Lightening* BAM! I did say BoolProp was my best friend, didn't I? Now let's give you and Consort a clean slate. *Sets V's & Consort's Relationship To Zero, Then Makes Consort Selectable*

Now Consort, why don't you go check out Veronica? Oh, what's that? Three bolts? Thought so. Now go flirt; my work is done here. *Goes to play pool*

You know, I feel funny. Like you know, maybe, just maybe, Consort is kinda, well... kinda... hot.

Apparently, he thought I was hot, too.

C: "Good Plumbbob, I can die happy now, because I've just seen a piece of heaven!"

V: "Really? Funny you think that way; you didn't seem to think I was anything special when we met a couple of days ago."

C: "Life's funny that way; sometimes love hits you on the second time around."

V: "I don't know, I distinctly remember you not liking me-"

C: "That's because I never noticed how blue your eyes are, blue like the ocean... And baby, I think I'm lost at sea!

*Blushes* Oh, geez, no one's ever said such sweet things to me! ...Well, except for Gilbert... But Gilbert says stuff like that to everybody; he's romance. And Gilbert's comments certainly never made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside... *Sigh* But anyway...

Apparently, no one else thought Consort's comments were sweet. In fact, I gather they thought them positively revolting. They certainly looked outraged; there were negatives signs flying all over the room.

And there were several gasps. Who knew a little flirting could be so upsetting?

"W-Well, I never... I'm so flabbergasted; I don't know what to say!"

"Oh, my Plumbbob, yuck! Dad, how could you??" *Stomps Foot*

*Sniff* "Grandpa, how could you do that to Grams? I never thought you could do such a thing..."

V: "Oh, come on people, can't we all just get along?"

Everybody: "NO!"

Wow, who knew I'd be the cause of such an uproar?

Anyway, it was Kent, Consort's one and only son, who took Consort's flirting the hardest.

"Dad, how could you? How dare you cheat on Mom!"

"Kent, your mother's been dead for years..."

"So? You took a vow... You swore you'd love and honor her! Doesn't that mean anything to you?!"

"Yes, of course it does. And I upheld those vows-"

"No you didn't!"

"Yes, I did. I swore to love and honor her until 'death do us part'. She died, Kent. Over five years ago. You can't possibly think I'm cheating on your mother; she's dead!"

"YES, I CAN! Those vows are meant to last forever! Poor Mom... She's probably in heaven missing you and waiting for you to join her, but meanwhile, you're down here messing around with some floozy!“

C: "Kent, look, I loved your mother, but she passed away... I think she'd want to see me move on and be happy..."

K: "Noo, I'd think she'd want you to live out the rest of your life alone out of respect for her memory and wait until you two can be reunited in heaven!"

C: "You all can't possibly really think that way... I know deep down you all really just

want me to be happy."

Desdemona: "All I know is that you disgust me! I hope Grandma kicks your ass in heaven."

Goneril: "Amen to that."

C: *Gasp* "Is that how you all really feel? …Not one of you cares for my happiness?"

K: "We are all shocked that you disgraced Mom's memory in such a way. However, if you apologize, I suppose we can forgive you."

"...Apologize? For doing something for me? For trying to create my own happiness? You should be the ones apologizing! Your mother is dead for goodness sakes! All of you should want me to be happy!"

"We do want you to be happy, we just don't want you to cheat on Mom with some two-dollar tramp!"

"Veronica is not a tramp! She's a very nice young lady, and I will not stand for any disrespect towards her or me any longer! Take that back this instant!"

"Oh, yeah? Make me!"

"Kent, I am warning you, I'm not too old to give you a butt-whooping."

"Try me, old man!" *Shoves*

"Why you little punk... You better start showing me some respect!"

"You should have shown Mom some respect!" *Tackle*

*Collective Gasp*

Albany: "Alright, who's ready for some champagne? ...What's going on here?! I leave the room for two seconds and already there's a fight. Don't you people know you're supposed to get drunk first and then start to fight?"

"Oh my Plumbbob, I don't who to root for... On one hand Kent's my brother, though he's a mooching freeloader. But on the other hand, Dad's, well, my Dad, even if he did just cheat on my mom who's been dead for five years! ...Oh, I'll just root for both

of them."

Andy: "Hey, Veronica, don't you think you should be concerned about that fight over there? I mean, you did start it..."

"I know, I know. A part of me feels just awful; I never meant to come between a father and his son. And I definitely didn't want to cause a rift in the family..."

"But the other part of me is thrilled; no one's ever fought over me before! I can't believe I've gotten so much attention."

"But aren't you going to DO anything? Aren't you even going to try and stop the

fight?"

"Nah, I just bought this dress, I don't want it to get ripped. Those two are really going at it."

"Now, what were you saying, old man? You're going to beg for the forgiveness of your family?"

""I don't have to apologize to anyone!"

"And I'm going to teach you some respect for your father if it's the last thing I do!"

"It WILL be the last thing you do, because I'm going to kick your butt all the way to hell."

"What was that, now? Speak up, I can't hear you! You know how hearing fails with old age."

"...Nothing, I said nothing..."

Hal: "Wow, you know you've hit a new low when your butt gets kicked by a 70 year old man."

"I thought so. But just to be sure, I'll warn you again: You may be a grown man, Kent, but you'll never be so grown that I can't whoop your butt. Now get out of my face."

"There, there, Kent. It's okay. If you had fought any other old man, you definitely would have won."

*Sniff* "S'not fair... Old man's a freak of nature..."

"Dad's definitely got more spunk than the average 70 year old; it was practically an unfair advantage."

"Yeah! If he were a regular old man, I'd have won!"

"KB, this party's great, thanks for getting Consort to like me!"

"No problem, though I didn't really envision starting a family feud, but what's a family gathering without a fight?"

"Great? You think this party's great? My father and brother are no longer speaking to each other thanks to you!"

"I-I didn't mean to start anything."

"So what? You caused a fight in my family, at my anniversary party no less, by hitting on my dad!"

"First of all, your dad hit on me, and second, you knew I wanted to date your father all along! And third of all, your mother is dead! Your father can't possibly cheat on someone who's dead!"

"Well, consider yourself dead to me! I can't believe I ever once called you a friend."

*GASP*

"Alright, alright everyone, let's settle down and try to remember the reason why we all gathered here today. It's because 31 years ago, Goneril and I got married. And we're here to celebrate the vows we took that day-"

"Vows Dad forgot he made when he got married!"

"Now, now, Kent, let's put that aside. Today's supposed to be a happy event, so let's all relax, drink some champagne, and try to have a good time, shall we? After all that's what family's all about: accepting each other the way we are and forgiving all our mistakes."

"Albany's right. Let's just put what happened behind us and move on. At least now we'll have something to gossip about other than that cafeteria worker who burns the mac and cheese. Anyway, I want to toast.”

“To Albany and our marriage; I love you honey, and moments like these make me remember why I married you: You're my everything. I would have nothing without you, especially not my four beautiful children-"

Miranda, Hal, Desdemona, Ariel: "Mom!"

"Anyway," *Sniff* "I love you. To Albany!"

All: "To Albany!"

"Great, now let's party!"

G, mumbling: "Oh, like I'd ever forget this! Veronica better watch her back, because that witch is going down."

Kent: "Definitely."

Miranda: "Got that right."

Andy, to himself: I have no idea what everyone is so upset about, but I'll stand here in the back and look moody and mad too.

Oddly enough, all the bonding over hating Veronica made the party a roof raiser. Everyone still went home pissed, but like I said earlier, what's a family reunion without one good fight? Anyway, that's it out of Veronica for now; we're going to see

what Dagmar's been up to. I seem to remember leaving you guys with a cliff hanger. Just remember that all this stuff with Dagmar happened a few weeks after what you just saw with Veronica. I just wanted to mention that for clarity. In case anyone cares. Which you probably don't. I bet no one even remembers me saying- you know what, I'm just going to stop now. Take it away, Dagmar.

~Dagmar's POV~

*Takes deep breathe* Here we go. Sorry if I don't have much of a greeting for you

peons, but I'm a little busy. It's time to put my master plan to work.

"D-Dagmar, what are you doing up here so late? And, you've, ah, uh, ...changed. What's with the make up... and the hair... and the dress..."

"Don't you like it?"

"Of course, of course! You, uh, look great! I just- what I mean is-"

*Giggles* "It's okay Gilbert, I get it. Actually, I came up here because I, um-" *Blushes* "I was sorta hoping we could talk."

"Um, I don't know. I'm pretty sure Veronica would be upset if we, uh, 'talked' and mother wouldn't approve either. And normally I would be all for illicit affairs, but it would be a lot harder since you live here and my mother watches you like a hawk.

Plus I'm supposed to be looking out for Veronica..."

"Gilbert, No harm ever came from a talk, and besides, I would never betray your trust."

"I don't know... Hey, wait!" *Narrows eyes suspiciously* "Don't you have feelings for Veronica?"

"Not anymore, Veronica's old news. You, however... Well, you're the only other decent person in this house. Your mother's always so mean and horrid to me, but you, you're sweet. And kind, and caring, and dreamy, and- Well, I've sorta got a

crush on you..."

"Look Dagmar, I'm flattered and all, really, I am. And I never thought I'd turn down meaningless woohoo, but we can't be together, ok? You're a nice girl, but- We just can't, ok?"

"Oh, come on, Gilbert, you know you want me." *Tries To Caress Arm*

"Hey, watch it! Look I told you no, ok? Quit it!"

"Are you serious?!"

"I mean, uh, I just like you a whole lot, almost as much as I like cheese, and, I was, uh, hoping you could maybe be, like, that special someone..."

"That's real sweet Dagmar, and I'm honored, really, but I can't."

"But couldn't we just-"

"NO!" *Shoves*

Oh, my Plumbbob. OH. MY. PLUMBBOB! This can't be happening! After all my carefully laid plans, that-that jerk rejected me! Who does he think he is? Why that no good, cocky, lazy, scoundrel! Ooh, I'm SO getting him for this!

*Clears Throat* "Well, if you really feel that way..."

*Sigh* "Sadly, I do. I could never betray Veronica's trust, no matter how much a woman throws herself at me. I think you should leave now."

G, to himself: I can't believe I just gave up cheap, meaningless Woohoo. Damn! The things I do for my friends...

I said nothing back, just left. I was positively seething at Gilbert for rejecting me. I was so pissed, and yeah, okay, slightly embarrassed, that I stomped back down the stairs to my room. Ok, not really; stomping would have woken Mrs. Jacquet up and

gotten me in a whole host of trouble, but I definitely stomped in spirit!

The next morning I got up and went to work. Last night was just a set back; I'm not giving up. I'm still convinced Gilbert is my ticket out of here. And thus the training began. I redoubled my efforts in all the training Mrs. Jacquet was giving me. And

because of her dance lessons, I soon became a lean mean fighting machine, which would definitely help, as Gilbert's turn off was fatness. I even came up with a brilliant back up plan. And the best part was, no one discovered a thing.

I guess Gilbert didn't tell his mother what happened that night; maybe he didn't think it mattered. One thing was for sure, Mrs. Jacquet didn't have a clue I came on to her son. She still ordered me about as usual, treating me no better or worse than

before.

"Pay attention, you ninny! You're supposed to be easing my tension, not giving me a cramp!"

"Yes ma'am."

I took this as a sign of complete oblivion. In fact, no one seemed to notice that grilled cheese's hold on me lessened day after day. Making and revising plans for escape kept my head clear and my sanity intact. It wouldn't be long before I was

able to bust out of here and whisk Veronica away... But I am getting ahead of myself.

Late one night, after everyone was asleep (surprisingly, Mrs. Jacquet and her son sleep like the dead), I snuck outside to greet the matchmaker, who would be vital to my escape plans. None of my old friends would help me; I made several phone

calls, begging and pleading, but CrumpleBottom had forbidden anyone to help me, and they were too scared of her Needles of Death to disobey. Thus I was all alone, and stuck with the matchmaker.

"Finally, you're here, I'd thought you'd never arrive."

"Well, I don't usually make calls so late, except to a few local vampires, of course, but anyway, how could I refuse after you made such a generous offer just to get me to come after midnight?"

"Right, well, let's get down to business."

"Let me guess. Those pigtails, that granny nightgown... You need a man don't you?"

"No, no, I already found a guy I want, but he refuses-“

"Ah, then you want this. Love Potion, or a little persuasion, as I like to say.“

"Exactly. Give me all you got."

"Eh, you sure? It's expensive, plus you really shouldn't need more than-"

"I'm sure, and money isn't a issue." Especially since I stole Gilbert's wallet, but the Gypsy didn't need to know that. Poor Gilbert; I'd been gradually building up a small

bank account by slipping a few bucks from his bakery funds every now and then. The fool never liked checking the ledgers, a task his mother demanded he do to gain responsibility, and so he gave the job to me whenever he thought his mother wasn't looking. It'd be a long time before he found out I'd fleeced him a few thousand bucks. If he ever found out.

"Do you have any of those other potions, too?"

"What, you mean, Vamprocillin?"

"Yeah."

"But you're not a vampire."

"I-I know, but I, uh, have a few vampire friends and I want some in case they bite. You know how vampires like to bite people!" *Nervous laughter*

"Humph, well, ok..."

"And do you have that other one, Plantophic-C?"

"But you're not a-"

"I do a lot of gardening. I'd like to have one, you know, just in case." Which, you

know, wasn't completely untrue. I did do a lot of gardening, and the old bat still refused to buy a ladybug loft. But the gypsy still looked suspicious.

"Huh, well, if you say so..."

"Here, is that all?"

"Wait, wait, do you have Lycanthophic-B?"

"Now what do you need that for? And I know you're not a werewolf!"

"I, uh, have friends who are werewolves."

"Lady, there hasn't been a werewolf around here for hundreds of years, if ever! Now if this were Strangetown, maybe I'd believe you, but here? In Veronaville? Now that's just plain baloney!"

"Look, are you going to sell it to me or not? I thought you were trying to make some money here!"

"Humph, fine. Here you go. That it?"

"Yes."

"Good. Goodbye." *Storms off*

Stupid nosy NPCs... Can't mind their own business... Anyway, the next day, I got to work on Plan B, as well as Part two of Plan A. You see, plain old love potion wouldn't work; it wouldn't last long enough. I was hoping that with a few extra ingredients, I'd

have an extra strength long lasting love potion that would put Gilbert in a stupor for weeks. Where'd I get all the "special" ingredients, you ask? From the backyard, of course. After Mrs. Jacquet taught me the "proper" way to garden, she stopped supervising me and trusted me to garden on my own, especially since I got my gold gardening badge. So basically, as long as I grew some regular fruits and vegetables, I could grow whatever I wanted and she would never have a clue.

I was also hoping to use these "special" ingredients to create another potion, one that would make me invincible... Never again would I allow myself to be caught and taken advantage of. I was sure Veronica would try to fight me once I escaped,

but this time I would be ready with my superpotion. ...If I actually got it to work. I was trying to reverse the effects of the Vamprocillin-D, Plantophic-C, and Lycanthophic-B potions and combine all of the Sim World's the supernatural powers in one potion. ...But it wasn't going very well. It seems you can't make an all-powerful superpotion with a food processor and a juicer. *Sigh* It looked like I was going to need a lab.

But I'll solve that problem later. Right now, it was time for Gilbert's lunch. And since I did manage to get the love potion right (I think...), it's about to become the secret ingredient in my chili.

Mrs. Jacquet was at her weekly Myshuno game with Florence Delarosa, Wanda Tinker, and Lisa Ramirez. They called themselves the Bluewater Gals. *Rolls Eyes* Anyway, with Denise out of the house, it was the perfect opportunity to use the potion. I just had to hope Mrs. Jacquet wouldn't notice her son had fallen madly in love with me. *Pours Potion In* *Whoosh* *Cough, Cough* Apparently the potion was VERY strong.

It only turned black for a few seconds, though. After that, it turned back to normal. With a few more spices, the love chili was ready. The best part about this plan was that Gilbert wouldn't think it was suspicious that I wasn't eating any chili; I was

supposed to be obsessed with cheese.

"Oh, Gilbert! It's time for lunch!" And to meet your doom... MUHWAHAHAHA!

"Coming!"

"Smells great, D. I can't wait to eat, I'm starving."

"Me too, I've been craving cheese all morning!" Eat up, Gilbert... Eat and meet your Doom!!!

"Hmm... This tastes different than the way Mom makes it. Did you put something different in this?"

"Nope, I just used the vegetables from the garden. And I tried this new recipe I saw

on the Yummy Channel." *Holds Breath*

"Well, whatever it is, it tastes great!" *Shoves food in mouth*

"Glad you like it. Must be the vegetables. I find that home grown produce almost always tastes better than store bought." *Phew* That was close.

Five minutes later...

"D-Dagmar... You s-sure you didn't put something d-different in this?"

"Nope. Just fresh veggies." *Munch* "Why?"

"I-It's j-just that... I never n-noticed h-how... how... t-that... you're pretty." *Dreamy Smile*

*Evil Grin* It works... "Oh, yeah? What else do you think about me?"

"That you're amazing. And whenever I see you, I hear choirs of angels and picture golden rays of sunshine over a huge meadow covered in roses. and I-I" *Blushes* "I like you."

"But I thought you said we could never be together."

"And pass up the chance to be with an angel? Dagmar, you're all I can think about. I won't be able to eat, work, or sleep until I make you mine! Please say you'll be

mine forever; I couldn't bear it if you chose someone else!"

"Gilbert, I'd love to be with you... Over these past few weeks, I've fallen for you, and it's been an absolute torture because I thought you'd never feel the same way..."

"Dagmar, how could I ever not love you? You are my everything, my reason for

being... Not a minute goes by that I don't wish to hold you in my arms and tell you how much I love you."

"Oh, Gilbert! ...But what about your mother?"

"What my mother doesn't know won't hurt her!" *Passionate Kiss*

"Oh, Gilbert, I don't know..."

"Please, Dagmar! We'll keep everything a secret! No one will know except for you and I. I promise no harm will ever come to you. I'll do everything in my power to

keep you safe from my mother and anyone else who threatens our love!"

"Oh, Gilbert, you're so sweet! But it would never work! We'd never have time to be together, not with all the chores your mother gives me..."

"Say no more. I'll help you. That way we'll have more time to be together."

"Oh, Gilbert... That's the nicest-" *Sniffle* "A-Are you sure?"

"Of course." *Kisses Cheek* "I love you, Dagmar. I live to serve you. Besides, such a

delicate ravishing beauty shouldn't be doing such menial tasks anyway."

"Oh, Gilbert, Thank you! I-I don't know what to say... Except that I love you so much..."

"And I love you." *Makes Out*

And that's how Gilbert ended up doing all my chores (when Mrs. Jacquet wasn't looking), including cleaning his own toilet.

*Giggles* That was one STRONG, fast-acting love potion. I guess I still have a little knowledge sim in me after all. That fool believed every word. Now to work on that super potion... And get some cheese. Mmm, cheeeese...

But, what was Veronica doing all those weeks Dagmar spent trying to seduce Gilbert? We shall now see. So Veronica will-

Shh! I'm on the phone! And can't you see I'm nervous? You jabbering in my ear

definitely isn't helping my nerves.

I see, and why are we nervous?

Because tonight I'm finally going to do it. *Gulp* I'm finally going to ask Consort out on a date.

~Veronica's POV~

Consort and I had been out on several outings before. In fact, we had been

spending quite a lot of time together, much to his family's dismay. We spent hours chatting after work at a new local cafe.

We sang karaoke together every Friday night, (I always sang the lead, though; Consort's voice was terrible.) and bonded over our mutual love of old sim disco.

And I even taught Consort to bowl. After a few tries, he started to get the hang of it.

"Way to go, Consort! Next time you'll get all three pins! Then they'll see who's in charge!"

"You got that right! I'll show 'em! They won't know what hit them!"

Consort and I also shared a love of games. Whether we were moping the floor with townies in poker-

"I thought you were supposed to be my friend! I even told you about the Townie

Rebellion!"

"Us being best friends doesn't mean I won't kick your butt at cards! Pay up!"

Or enjoying a leisurely game of chess in the park, we always had a good time.

And I wanted to take that one step further. *Sigh* Here I go.

"Hello?"

"Consort, it's Veronica."

"Oh, hi, how are you?"

"Me, oh, I'm good. Listen. We've known each other for a while now-"

"Almost two months I believe."

"Yes, and well, I've been thinking. T-The thing is... I've been, I mean I was, ah, kinda lonely- before I met you that is."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, you probably know how it is... You work hard, schmooze your way to a top of a career, make a lot of money, and then suddenly-"

"Everybody wants to be your friend-"

"And you don't know who to trust-"

C & V: "So you shun everybody."

"Exactly. It's been so hard to find good friends, and even harder to find the right guy..."

V: *Deep Breath* "I guess what I'm trying to say is... Willyougooutonadatewithme?"

"...Veronica?"

"Yes?"

"I'd love to."

*Phew* "So... meet you tomorrow at eight?"

"I'll be there."

We met at Similar Sights Sculpture Park before dinner.

"So... I hear the art here is supposed to be spectacular."

"Hmmph. You call a bubble blower and some fire jets art?"

"Well, there's this piece."

"This piece has no arms. It's not art either."

"I think it's supposed to be an interpretation of this statue of Venus-"

"That piece has no arms because it's thousands of years old and was damaged. This, though- this train wreck was intentional. And all it says is that the artist got lazy."

"Maybe we should have gone to the Deh’ Javu Modern Art Museum..."

"Don't even get me started on that place. They let anything in there. As if you could really call a flaming toilet art..."

"Maybe we should just skip the museum and go right to dinner."

"Eh, sounds good to me."

We went to this place called Londoste. I've never been there before, but I thought I'd go to some place new tonight. This place was supposed to be upscale and really fancy, and I wanted dinner to be romantic. And let's face it; dinner at the Hub with

the DJ Booth blaring in the background wasn't really romantic. Anyway, we chatted and caught up on gossip as we waited for our waiter.

"So then I told Bob to stuff it. After all, I'm the business tycoon here, and I know a bad deal when I see one. Landgraab Enterprises has been going downhill ever since that fool's parent's died, and there's no way I would jeopardize our company

by helping Malcolm build a land bridge to Twikki Island, no matter how prestigious his company name is."

*Giggles* "I heard about that venture; he tried to get us at Simcorp to buy in, but we all just laughed. Now, Worthington, however, he's got a real head for business."

"Indeed, but he hasn't a penny to his name."

"Pity his father gambled away all his fortune."

"He didn't gamble away all of it."

"He didn't? But everyone says Francis J. is bankrupt!"

"He is. His father almost gambled away all his fortune, until he realized that he couldn't possibly pay all his creditors. Then he gathered all that was left of the money and hightailed it all the way to Riverblossom Hills with his mistress, leaving his wife and son behind.“

"Riverblossom Hills? But that's like Sim-Siberia!"

"Yup. I think the old coot might have froze to death."

*Giggles* "And his mother?"

"Died from embarrassment."

"Embarrassment?"

"Shock at all the scandal."

"Ah. And now that poor boy is left with a mountains of bills-"

"And he's still got all of college left. Why couldn't he be blessed with a fortune like Landgraab's, I'll never know. Plumbbob knows that idiot doesn't deserve it."

We gossiped like that until our waitress finally came.

"It's about time. I'd like to order-"

"It's ok, I see your talk bubble. I hate to break it to you lady, but I don't think pearl

necklaces are on the menu, I'll have to ask the chef."

C: *Snickers*

*Glowers* "That's quite alright, thank you, we'll just order something else."

"As if I'd order jewelry for dinner! Can you believe that lady?"

"Well, some sims are stupid. But forget about that, let's talk about something else. I propose a toast."

"To what?"

...

C&V: "To money!" *Simultaneous Laughter*

Ah, Consort and I know each other so well. we're perfectly compatible. He's the only one that understands my love of money, and I'm the only one who understands

his drive and ambition. (He's already led a very successful life, but he dreams of owning his own business. A restaurant to be exact. But his children disprove. They think he's too old and don't want him spending any more of their future inheritance than necessary.) And since we're both business tycoons, we can completely relate to each other's jobs. *Sigh* Being in a three bolt couple rocks. Anyway, Consort and I were having a perfectly pleasant evening...

Until the waitress came back and dropped our food all over me. GRRR. What should have been the most romantic evening of my life was turning into a complete disaster.

"OH MY PLUMBBOB!"

"Sorry, Sorry! I didn't mean to..."

"Do you have any idea how long it took me to get ready? And can't you see I'm on

a date here?! You've ruined everything!"

"Oh, Veronica, I wouldn't say everything is ruined..."

"You're not the one with food all over you!"

"True."

"I'm so, so sorry, ma'am. Please forgive me."

"Does this at least mean we get our dinner for free?"

"Um... No. But please accept my deepest, sincerest apologies. I'll be right back out

with your order."

"Hmmph."

"If it helps, I still think you look amazing."

*Smiles* "Thanks, Consort."

We tried to salvage the rest of the evening as best we could, but it's hard to make polite conversation when you feel icky and sticky all over. So after dinner, I decided to call it a night. Consort understood.

"I had a great time, Veronica, I hope we can do it again sometime."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"No, really, just look at the date meter. I always enjoy your company, Veronica. It

was a pleasure." *Walks Away*

My date with Consort had me worried. Nothing was going right. It took me so long to find him, and then when we first met, we hated each other. And now this... Our first date was a disaster. *Sigh* Everything was supposed to be perfect. But what if...

What if Dagmar was right? What if Consort and I weren't meant to be? ...Stop it, Veronica, you can't think that way! You can't give up! What does Dagmar know anyway? She's probably busy stuffing her face with cheese & cleaning Mrs. Jacquet's kitchen floors. She doesn't know anything, not about you. She never really knew you, anyway. If she did, she'd know that you are not a quitter.

You will not give up, and you're not going to let one bad date get between you and your dream. You can do this, V! You've just got to keep trying! And stop talking to yourself. People are going to think you're crazy.

My craziness aside, the next Saturday I gave Consort another call. I asked him out on another date and this time- this time things were going to go right.

This time, I'd have the date here. There would be no downtown, no art, and no waitresses. Just me and Consort. I'd wow him with my cooking and charming personality.

"Hey, aren't you going to 'Ooh' and 'Ah' over my cooking? I'm supposed to be wowing you."

"Nah, don't feel like it."

Meh, men.

"Besides, Veronica, I know your cooking's great. And I must say thanks for inviting me over for a lovely lunch. You- and you're cooking- are superb, as always."

*Blushes* "Aw, thanks Consort."

Consort always knows just the right things to say to make a girl go 'squee' inside.

"And anyway, I'm glad you invited me over, because I feel that our last date was a little short. I didn't get a chance to tell you how I feel about you." *Takes Hand*

*Deep Breath* "Veronica... Veronica, I-"

"There's no need, Consort. I know exactly how you feel. The little heart do-dads say it all."

"It's just that I've finally found that special someone. And after Contessa died, I

thought I'd never feel this way again. Veronica, you- you are my light. I could get lost in your eyes for days, and when you smile- when you smile, it doesn't matter if it's raining or even if we're in the middle of a blizzard. When you smile at me, I've got sunshine on a cloudy day. When it's cold outside, I've got the month of May. I've got a sweeter song than the birds in the trees and more honey than all the bees.* When I'm with you, Veronica, I have the world."

*Blushes* "Consort, that's the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me."

('My Girl' lyrics courtesy of the Temptations)

And it was true. Suddenly, this relationship wasn't about impossible wants or getting

money and prestige. It... It was about love. Seriously. I loved all the compliments he gave me, no matter how corny they were; he made me feel special, loved. And when I was in his arms, nothing else mattered; everything but me and him faded away and ceased to be important. And when he kissed me-

Okay, that's enough of that. This chapter's all ready way too mushy.

KB! That's VERY rude, interrupting like that. I was having a moment.

I don't care. Spare me, okay? In fact spare all of us. No one wants to hear about how Consort makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

KB, the readers want to know what happened to me, and part of what happened to me is that I fell in love. Dear Plumbbob, did I just say that? Huh. I'm in love. Love.

*Rolls Eyes* Look, V, the readers want to know the exciting stuff. Omit the mushy

stuff, okay? Just like I omitted all the pictures of you and Consort making out, pictures that no one, myself included, should ever have to see. Bleh. Old people love. *Shudders*Just get a move on, okay?

Hmph, fine.

Now, where was I? Oh, yeah.

"Consort, I know I've only known you for a short time, but I... I think I love you."

"I think I love you, too. In fact, there's something I wanted to ask you."

"Veronica," *Bends Down On One Knee* "Will You Marry Me?"

I think this is a good spot to leave it, don't you? So... Wanna know if Dagmar's evil

plans come through? If Consort's family will ever forgive him for cheating on his deceased wife? Or perhaps you just want Veronica to answer Consort's question. Either way, you just have to wait until next time to see what happens next. Happy reading!

And Veronica, stop picking your nose in front of the camera! It's rude! :) Later simmers.