Dreams Of Fame
1.14 - Making It Big
Zoe logged into her computer, checked her email, and screamed so loud that she woke the whole house.
“This better be good,” Summer growled as she came upstairs. “I don’t like having my sleep interrupted.”
Zoe ignored her completely. “I checked my email, and guess what you all?”
“What?” Giovanna gasped.
“We’ve made a million off of my books and Giovanna’s paintings! We’re millionaires!” Zoe exclaimed.
Everyone in the room cheered. Maybe moving in with Zoe hadn’t been such a bad idea after all! Zoe called her parents, and her dad boarded a plane immediately. Travis’s moms expressed interest in coming as well, Liberty’s parents were on a nature retreat, and Summer’s had disowned her years ago.
“We are celebrating tonight, y’all,” Zoe grinned.
Beatrice had moved to her own place about a week back, but even without her presence, everyone had been feeling the strain of Beatrice’s exotic taste on the family budget while she had been staying with them for an indefinite period of time. It was good to finally have a decent amount of cash.
The doorbell rang a few hours later, and Zoe was greeted by her dad. “Sorry, mom couldn’t make it,” he apologized. “And who’s this?” he added, spotting Travis.
Zoe introduced her dad to everyone, totally missing that he was bummed that Travis wasn’t her boyfriend and that he was a little weirded out by her totally altered personality.
Travis’s moms were the next to show up.
“Hi, I’m Charlie,” the brown haired one waved.
“And I’m Catherine,” the blonde one added.
“I’m his actual birth mother, and let’s just say stuff with Travis’s dad did not work out,” Charlie grinned.
“He dyed his hair blond to look related to me,” Catherine smiled. “It still touches me every time I think about it… "
"Alright, let's get down to it," Travis said, dropping the smile he'd put on when he'd opened the door. "Why did you let a woman you've never met adopt me?"
Charlie looked at Catherine, shocked. "We did what?"
Catherine gave Charlie a panicked look. "A paper came in for Travis, and I just assumed it was another thing I had to sign to help him pay his lease on that house he owned with his friends... We've gotten so many, I just assumed-"
Charlie frowned, and turned to Travis. "We're going to do everything we can to try and turn this around, alright? We both know that Catherine is a great ass lawyer, if it comes down to that. You are our son, and that will always be true at the end of the day."
There was an awkward pause.
"So, uh, where's the woman we're here to celebrate?" Catherine asked awkwardly.
Travis showed the two of them to Zoe, who was trying to explain to her dad that Giovanna was totally fine.
"This is the woman I signed binding contracts about your guardianship to?" he muttered.
“Dad, no, it’s just that she was locked in a basement…”
“Locked in a what?”
“A father and daughter team! What a dynamic duo!” Charlie cheered.
“Congratulations on your book,” Catherine said, holding out her hand.
Zoe smiled, and took it, but Zoe's dad cut in again.
"Hang on a minute Zoe, what's going on here?"
"I'll explain it to you later, dad," Zoe sighed.
After a brief pause, everyone sat down in the living room to plan out the evening, and it was agreed that they’d all go out clubbing together. At the last moment, Jo showed up, gave a dirty look to Zoe, then moved to stand firmly by Giovanna’s side. The group managed to work out a carpool situation that set everyone up in just two cars.
As the sun set, they headed out for the Club Lounge, a place known for renting space to whatever club needed it, but also known for having an incredible dj, a decent bar, and an energetic dance floor.
“I’m excited,” Charlie told Summer. “I haven’t been out clubbing since before I divorced Travis’s father!”
“We’re gonna have a lot of fun,” Summer grinned. "Especially because the drinks here are supposed to be incredible. Let me know if you want me to buy you one."
In her head, Summer was considering the possibility that if she managed to get close to Travis’s moms, Travis might start paying more attention to her than he payed to Liberty. Then, it would only take a matter of time before he succumbed to her charms. They’d never failed before, and she doubted they would once she had a firm grasp.
The whole family strutted into the lounge confidently. Some people recognized Zoe and Giovanna and started to scream their names, but Zoe’s dad held up his hand.
“If you want her to sign your books, I recommend you actually attend one of her book signings.”
The fans were intimidated enough that they scattered, and the passage was cleared for everyone to enter the lounge.
The family went to the dance floor and danced the night away. Even old Jo, who clearly hadn’t been out in a few years, had a grand old time dancing with Giovanna.
At one point, Travis and Liberty stepped off to the side of the dance floor. Unbeknownst to them, Summer was eyeing them from across the room.
“Tonights been really great,” Liberty grinned.
Summer’s eyes widened in rage as Liberty and Travis reached out and held each other’s hands. “I’m going to go get some alcohol,” Summer growled to everyone else as she stormed upstairs to a bar where she wouldn’t have to witness Travis eye Liberty and not her.
Summer sat down at a table and sulkily drank her drink. Eventually, a man sat down across from her.
“Bad night?” he asked.
Summer sighed loudly.
“I’m José,” the man said. “Life is rough, man, that’s the way it is. I get that you don’t want to talk to anyone right now, but just in case, here’s my number in case you need someone to talk to.”
The man left a business card advertising a freelance guitarist gig, then took his drink and left.
Summer rolled her eyes, but pocketed the card anyway.
Back downstairs, everyone felt the pleasant buzz of alcohol rushing through the systems as their feet pounded the glass of the dance floor. The loud base of the DJ station shook the room, and that, combined with the drinks, kept their legs moving.
It definitely was one grand night.
A big thanks to the original creator of José Yépez, he's such a well made sim. It's been years since I first downloaded him so I'm so sorry I can't thank you directly.