She walked through the foyer of the hotel briskly, hoping nobody from the press had followed her, or pre-empted her decision to come.
The receptionist smiled pleasantly before the recognition of who was about to talk to her crossed her face.
Cheryl took a deep breath before approaching the counter, she smoothed her hair down and tried to ignore the niggle in the pit of her stomach that was trying to tell her that this was a bad idea.
“My girlfriend is staying here tonight, could you tell me which room she is staying in please?
The young receptionist tried her best to remain professional, she smiled a little too enthusiastically before shaking her head.
“I’m afraid we cant give out room numbers at the desk Ma’am”
She exhaled loudly, trying to keep her temper under control. Her whole relationship with Kimberley was hanging by a thread, and nobody was willing to help her save it.
“If you don’t give it me, I’ll knock on every door of the hotel until I find her” Cheryl replied, a little lower than before and with less humour in her tone.
The girl remained quiet for what seemed like an age, she looked at a piece of paper on the desk quickly before meeting Cheryl’s eyes.
“Please” Cheryl mouthed to her, her eyes pleading with the girl to just give her a break.
“I cant give you the room number I’m afraid” she said again, louder than normal so that her collegue on the other side of the desk could hear her.
Cheryl’s heart sank, of course her threat was empty, even the receptionist knew that. There was nothing she could do now but try to leave a message in the hope Kimberley might respond.
The girl slipped off her chair and walked around the reception desk and toward Cheryl.
“If you are still going to knock on those doors, then you might want to start with 513A”
Cheryl looked at her blankly for a second, before she could say thank you, the girl had dissapeared through the “staff only” door, leaving Cheryl with her opportunity to get to the lifts.
-
513A was nondescript. There was nothing unusual about it from the outside where Cheryl stood for a while, trying to compose herself.
It looked remarkably like any other room in the hotel, really, if Cheryl had been thinking straight, she should have known what hotel Kimberley had gone to, and even what room she was staying in.
They had stayed her a while ago, she couldnt recall why, but the whole place was familiar to her.
She took a dep breath before knocking confidently on the door.
Her heart almost stopped still as she heard the familiar sound of Kimberley’s heels hitting the wooden floor from the other side.
“Who is it?” Kimberley shouted from inside.
“Room Service” Cheryl lied, although she did nothing to change the tone of her voice.
-
They both stood rooted to the spot for a while, Cheryl on the outside, Kimberley on the inside. Neither one of them wanting to be the one to break the silence.
“Come in” Kimberley replied finally, stepping aside so that Cheryl could pass her.
Cheryl walked in slowly, her heart in her mouth, although she tried to look as though she was calm outwardly.
Kimberley sat on the edge of the large bed and gestured for Cheryl to sit on the couch next to her.
“I’ve been over this moment so many times in my head today” Cheryl said, biting the bullet at last.
“There was so much that I was going to say to you, but now that I’m here, with you in front of me, I’m not sure what to say”
Kimberley said nothing, but nodded for Cheryl to continue.
“I know I havent been the perfect girlfriend over the past few months Kimberley, and I know that you think that I’ve sacrificed our relationship for the sake of my career, but honestly babe, nothing could be further from the truth”
She took a deep breath before carrying on, trying her best to control her voice.
“Everything that I do, everything that I am, its all because of you and how much I love you. If I didnt have you, all of the other stuff would be worthless, I just want us to be happy, surely you can see that?” Cheryl asked with a frown, and maybe a little bit of desperation in her voice.
Kimberley sighed deeply, she played with her hair nervously, although Cheryl could tell she was trying to put on a brave front.
“I know you love me Cheryl. I should never have questioned that, I was angry and I lashed out but I’ve never once questioned how much you love me”
“But that isn’t the issue is it really?” Cheryl asked, torn over what she was meant to be feeling.
“Ever since we got together, all I’ve done is follow you around, I go with you to the posh parties and you show me off at all the events, I stay at lovely hotels...but I never see you. I watch you on the TV more than I actually see you, I eat room service on my own in cities I dont know...I hang off your every word Cheryl, and I always will, but I miss being the most important thing in your life”
-
She got up from the couch and sat next to Kimberley on the bed, slipping one arm around her waist and pulling her in close.
Her heart ached as she felt Kimberley crying on her shoulder, trying desperately to stop, but to no avail.
“Kimberley... You’ve always been the most important thing in my life, even before we got together, and you always will be”
