Chapter 9
"It's like she's completely changed Nic. She's so sweet. So quiet.. no more loud mouth saying whatever's on her mind. She's so much more...careful now about her language."
Lauryn smiled at Kimberley's love-struck look.
She wondered if she looked like that when she first got together with Justin. She had a feeling that she still looked like that.
"That is so good to hear babe. You deserve it. And Cheryl seems to agree."
"Yes. Her face is practically cleared up and it's so funny to see her reaction to these men now. They suddenly remember her phone number. She blocked their numbers, you know?"
"She blocked their numbers?!" Lauryn squawked as Kimberley looked at her proudly.
"If they cared enough they would have been there when she was at her worse."
"I agree." Nicola was impressed by Cheryl's improvement, but then Sarah told her about how hard she was trying so she knew that Cheryl deserved the praise.
"So today.. is she coming to escort you from your last photoshoot too or is her chivalry tied down to racing to the corner shop in -5 degree weather to grab you breakfast just to watch you eat it?"
Kimberley slapped Lauryn's arm. Even as she laughed with her, her eyes turned dreamy at the memory.
"We're meeting at my flat then we're going to Sarah's house"
"Okay, cool." Nicola smiled mischievously at Kimberley until she told her to spit out what ever was on her mind.
"So you two? knockin' boots yet?"
"What? We just got together officially!"
"Ummm, you two were unofficially together long before last night babe. Everyone thought you two were together for a year now. Does she know that you haven't been with anyone in over a year?"
When Kimberley shook her head Nicola poked her in the arm.
"Tell her! She'll understand your urgency. TRUST me."
"But I mean, after being at her throat about those men being sluts, I don't want to act just like one of them."
"Hello! Do you hear yourself? You sound like me when I thought Justin was going to think I was a *Not Allowed* if I told him I was ready to have sex. He was ready to explode by the time we did it."
Kimberley laughed, imagining Justin attacking Lauryn as she came home. It was one hilarious visual.
"Seriously Kim, tell her straight up that you're ready. It's been a year."
Kimberley breathed in then out and nodded her head.
"Okay, I will! Right now actually."
She pulled out her phone to call her only to have a song blast from it nearly making her drop it. She hadn't changed her ring tone in months. It was an artist named Musiq that Cheryl loved.
It made her eyes soften as she listened to the lyrics of the chorus that played on repeat.
Teach me how to love Show me the way to surrender my heart Girl I'm so lost
Teach me how to love Now I can get my emotions involved Teach me...how to
love...
She looked up at Lauryn who was already reaching over for the phone. When she saw who the text was from she shook her head.
"She is already head over hells for you and don't even know it."
Cheryl texted: I'm thinkin abt u babe. I miss u. xx
Kimberley texted back: Aww. I miss u 2. I jus sent u a kiss and a hug
"You two are all cheesy now. Awwwww!"
Kimberley stood up and grabbed her bags as she waved away their teasing.
"I have one more meeting before I meet her. I'm going to tell Cheryl tonight for sure."
"You better!"
Nicola watched as Kimberley practically skipped from the coffee shop. It was the happiest she'd ever seen her. She thought that it looked damn good on her too.
****
Cheryl was on cloud nine after her recording. Her thoughts were on Kimberley from the moment she sat down. Simon might as well have been talking Japanese.
"Okay, have to pick Kimba up, hang out with Sarah and Tommy for a bit then get her to her place and ask her to stay over on Saturday."
Her mam had to visit her aunt over the weekend and was taking Gillian with her so she had the house
to herself and wanted to invite Kimberley over to take it to the next level.
She wanted to be with her so bad that she'd wake up in almost painful arousal. All those months of denial added up to her being in an almost constant state of arousal.
But she was willing to wait. She wanted the real thing and was willing to hold off until she got it.
"If I ever get it..." she grumbled as she checked herself in her rear view mirror.
She smiled at how well her face cleared up but immediately looked away instead focusing on how she felt and boy did she feel good.
After taking a deep breath she stepped out of her car and spotted Kimberley immediately waiting just inside of the doorway to her flat.
A smile found her lips and her steps became longer and quicker then came to a halt when she saw the person standing way too close to Kimberley.
In-her-personal-space close.
Cheryl didn't like it one bit. Or the fact that the bloke had her hand on Kimberley's waist and that Kimberley was smiling up at him.
"The mode of the gentleman...the mode of the gentleman..." She repeated as her face turned stony and her lips thinned.
"Fook that sh!t Cheryl ..." She resumed her approach and her fists balled when the man pulled Kimberley close and hugged her then pulled back and...and...kissed her.
It didn't matter to Cheryl that the kiss was on her cheek. he only thing that mattered is that he kissed her. Period.
She stormed through the doorway and it banged loudly on the wall causing Kimberley to jump and the guy to turn around in surprise.
