Day 2 – Getting to Know You

Zoe woke up at 5 AM, and it took her a moment to remember where she was. This was definitely not her bedroom, nor was it the posh cabin she’d booked for herself on the cruise liner. She’d managed to sleep pretty well, though, considering she’d had a slab of wood for a mattress. 

She needed to use the bathroom and was feeling a bit grungy. “God, what I wouldn’t do for a toilet and a nice, hot shower,” she muttered to herself. After washing up a bit in the sink, Zoe swam across to the bush she’d designated as her personal toilet and did her business.

While Zoe was in the area, she weeded the avocado tree and harvested the 10 cherries and 3 avocados that were ripe for the picking.

At 6:20, Miles woke up and did some push-ups to stretch out. Sleeping in a bush all night left him with achy muscles. Luckily, he was in great shape and, after playing sports for years, was able to recover quickly.

By this time, Zoe was planting one of the cherries she’d just harvested.

After watering her new cherry tree, Zoe decided to swim a few laps. She passed Miles heading in the opposite direction. Knowing Miles had just woken up, she assumed he was going to find some privacy to relieve himself but decided to feign ignorance.

As she turned around for another lap, she saw Miles entering his designated toilet bush. She smiled knowingly and swam toward the area where there were 3 cherry trees. She was happy to see that another 17 cherries were ready to harvest.

When Zoe got back to the island, she joined Miles in fishing. She’d managed to get them a bit of fruit, but that wouldn’t sustain them for long. They’d need a source of protein to maintain their energy levels.

Zoe was surprised at the strong tug on her line and carefully reeled in what she hoped would be a great catch. As she lifted the fish out of the water, she swelled in pride as she admired the large tuna wiggling on her hook.

Miles, on the other hand, fished out a Pied Piper Acoustic Guitar, which was awesome — but it wouldn’t sate their hunger. So, he put it aside and tried for something edible. He was disappointed when all he caught was a small minnow and an even smaller tetra. Right after Miles took the tetra off his hook, he saw that Zoe had also snagged a pomegranate.

They still hadn’t eaten anything yet today. So, they headed over to the fire pit with the catch of the day. Because the island was too narrow where Zoe was fishing, she had to swim around to get to the fire pit.

Miles attempted to get a fire going but did too good a job. The twigs were so dry from baking in the sun that they burst into flames, burning Miles’s left arm as he tried to pull it out of harm’s away. “Dammit!” Miles quickly dropped to the ground and doused the flame in the sand, but not soon enough to avoid a first-degree burn.

It was noon by the time they’d both started roasting the two small fish Miles had caught. Zoe said, “I thought I heard you swearing a few minutes ago while I was swimming over. Is everything OK?”

“Oh, yeah. Sorry about that. My, uh, arm caught on fire when I was lighting the fire pit.”

“What?!? Oh my God, are you OK? I didn’t really think about how dangerous an open flame can be.”

“Yeah, it’s a superficial burn. I’ll be fine.”

Zoe shrugged. “If you say so.”

When their fish were done roasting, they ate lunch. Miles did the dishes and washed up a bit in the sink. Then he got dressed.

Zoe went inside to wash her hands after lunch, and the sink sprang a leak. She found a wrench nearby and tried to tighten the loose washer. Meanwhile, Miles came in to see what she was up to and made himself useful crafting a knife block on the woodworking table.

By mid-afternoon, Zoe was getting sleepy. Between getting up at 5 AM and spending the day out in the heat, she needed a nap. So, she curled up on the wooden bench and dozed off.

Miles wasn’t satisfied with the poor quality of the knife block he’d crafted and decided to try something else. He crafted a horse sculpture this time, which came out a little better. At least it looked sort of like a horse. It was doubtful his attempt at a knife block could actually store knives.

Zoe woke up after napping for a bit, but she was still tired and went back to sleep. Miles had been bitten by the carpentry bug and was really getting into it. His next project was a garden planter, something that would actually be useful on the island. He felt a little more confident about getting it right after his two practice runs with the knife block and sculpture.

By 6:30, Zoe finally woke up feeling refreshed. Miles is tired and could really use a nap, but he doesn’t want to miss this opportunity to get to know Zoe better. She invited him to sit with her, and they talked for a short while.

Zoe was energized after her lengthy nap and chat with Miles. So, she swam laps in the cool, clear water while Miles took a much-needed nap on the bench.

When Miles woke up, he, too, felt invigorated and swam a few laps. By then, Zoe was a bit tired, lying down for another cat nap.

Miles was getting hungry and knew they’d need another fish so they could both eat tonight. He set himself up on the side of the fishing pond where Zoe usually fished. When he felt a heavy weight on his line, he smiled and muttered to himself, “Maybe this is a lucky spot.” He changed his tune when he pulled out a large piece of driftwood. “Or maybe it has nothing to do with which side of the pond I’m on. Maybe it’s just me who’s unlucky.” It was nearly midnight when Miles finally reeled in a small minnow.

Zoe woke up and was looking for Miles when she spotted him walking back from the pond, carrying a small fish. She sat down on the beach and Miles sat next to her.

“Let me guess — fish for dinner?”

Miles chuckled and said, “Yeah. How’d you guess?”

Zoe tapped her temple. “I’m a smart cookie. Figured it out all by myself.”

Being a cheerful guy, Miles appreciated a good sense of humor. 

“So, how did a gorgeous girl like you end up on a singles cruise? I can’t imagine you not having a boyfriend.”

“It’s kind of a long story.”

“Well, who knows how long we’ll be stuck here. I’m all ears, if you’re willing to share.”

“I tell you what. Why don’t we start cooking these fish, and I’ll tell you the short version while we’re eating.”

“Deal. I’m pretty hungry.”

“Whenever you’re ready, Zoe. I really am interested.”

As they roasted the fish they’d caught earlier that day, Zoe began her story. 

“Until a couple of months ago, I was in a long-term relationship. Everything was great in the beginning. Then so subtly I didn’t even notice at first, he became more and more controlling and manipulative. At first, it was just little things, like pouting if I went out with my friends, saying I didn’t want to spend time with him.”

“Then he started criticizing me. He’d make comments on what I would wear to work or to go out with my friends, calling me terrible names and saying I was looking for attention from other guys. He was so jealous — of everything and everyone. He tried to isolate me from my family and friends. Luckily, I caught on and realized that the longer I stayed with him, the worse it would get.”

“Zoe, I’m so sorry. No one deserves to be treated that way, especially not someone as sweet as you. So, you broke up with him?”

Zoe nodded her head. “Yeah, with the help of my best friend and my family. I was so relieved to finally get away from him. Thank goodness we’d never moved in together.” She shuddered. “After that, I was nervous about getting involved with another guy.”

“So, how did you end up on the cruise?”

Zoe smiled. “My best friend talked me into it,” she said, eating a bite of fish. “She’d gotten an email about the cruise and told me I should check it out. It was the matchmaking service that convinced me to give it a try.”

“So, I have your best friend to thank for more than just her fashion sense.”

“What do you …? Oh! You mean my bikini?” She laughed. “You remembered that, huh?”

This time Miles tapped his forehead, saying, “Memory like a steel trap. At least about the important stuff.” He ate his last bite of fish and said, “I wish I could talk to you all night, Zoe, but I’m exhausted.”

“Come on,” she said. “Douse the fire and I’ll take care of cleanup. You can get some sleep.”

When they went inside the shelter, they found it had cooled down a bit after the sun had gone down. Miles threw his tank top and shorts over his swim trunks and curled up on the log. Zoe pulled on her shorts and top and did the dishes. Then she cleaned the dirty sink and washed up as best she could.

Based on how dark it was, it had to be the middle of the night. Zoe wasn’t that tired since she had napped earlier. So, she started crafting a horse sculpture. It was a hot mess. Luckily, no one was the wiser since Miles was still sleeping. 

So, Zoe started again, this time trying her hand at crafting a garden planter, with better results. She whispered, “Huh. Didn’t know I had it in me. You go, girl.”

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Author’s Notes:

At 9 AM on Day 2, I rolled the dice to determine the gods’ will for the day. I rolled:

(8) Llamatipoca is sending a thunderstorm to the island. Sadly, one of your Sims (your choice) gets struck by lightning and loses 4 skill points. 

Before the dice roll:

After the dice roll:

Using MC Command Center, I removed 4 skill points from Zoe. Since fishing, fitness and gardening are challenge requirements, my strategy was to leave those intact if possible.

I’ve rolled two 8’s so far, neither of which are positive rolls. What will tomorrow hold? Will it be more bad news for our couple, or will fate reward them for their positive attitude?