The Only Way is Up

Part Twenty

A/N Random keys on my laptop have stopped functioning, so please excuse any errors!

Chapter Twenty

Kim smirked at her from her position on her permanent bed of rest, "oh...my...effing...God!"

Nicole blushed, "you don't have to make this worse than it is."

Kim shook her head, "a gorgeous man helped you to make your ex husband DEAD jealous, kissed you until you could barely stand...then, and this is the best bit, BEGS you to go on a date, and you have the audacity to play this down? Am I getting this right?"

Nicole rolled her eyes, "it's a huge mistake Kim, I'm not ready for this."

"You are ready for anything, you have to know that. It's a date for god's sake, that's all."

Suddenly she felt as though she was on the verge of tears, "you're wrong. I'm NOT ready for this. You're right, he'd handsome, CAN be charming, when he's not being an egotistical prick...but he's SO out of my league Kim, way out of my comfort zone."

"Bullshit. He likes YOU!"

Shaking her head she ran a hand through her hair, "have you seen him? He looks like he's stepped off the cover of GQ, he's beautiful and young...and all his friend's all his female acquaintances are bloody models! I am nowhere near that, and I'm not opening my heart up to be squeezed into a pulp at his hands when he gets bored."

"I'm not saying that this will be forever, but take it for what it is. A bloody gorgeous man begging to spend time with you."

Nicole hung her head; she'd never been someone who did anything casually. Kim knew that more than anyone, her friend reached out and linked her fingers through hers.

"I trust him, and I like him. I NEVER felt that with Vincent. I don't want to see you hurt again, but you need to live again. This man offers that. The other option is to return to what you were...sad, unhappy and not living. I don't want that for you darling."

She hated that tears were so close, all the time, but that was par for the course at the moment, "don't over romanticise this Kim, he's young, he's starting out, I'm old and jaded. We don't have anything in common." When her friend gave her a questioning look she groaned, "I want a baby...you KNOW that, I'm not going to pin a twenty four year old into my plans, it's not fair. He's young; he has the world at his feet."

Kim groaned, "you can't go out looking for a father darling, you have to look for someone who loves you, cherishes you. That's more important than a man to have a child with. I swear."

"And that's him?" She almost shouted, incredulously. But the truth was, that during the previous night, being with him, was the first time she'd felt cherished in her life, the way he touched her, the way he looked out for her...and the way he'd kissed her. Actually that was a lie, he kissed her like he was a starving man, like he needed her to breathe...and she'd never been made to feel as essential as oxygen before. Was Kim right? Could this work? She wasn't overly optimistic that she could be all that he wanted, all that he needed. She didn't think that she was all that he wanted, she felt that she fell short on every level, the perfect Saskia and Natalya came to mind again, and she glanced across the room to the mirror and groaned. She was nowhere near what anyone wanted...but if she trained, if she worked out more, cut back with her diet. Maybe she could become the person that someone desired.

Gryaznyy was scurrying in a bush; as usual she sniffed profusely at every blade of grass.

"Come on animal!" Max called out to the dog. But she was resolved to sniff until she was happy. This was another of their riverside runs. Over the last few weeks Max had been increasing his running distance, his knee was holding out, and whilst it was a long way from pivoting, or lunging, and even further from contact sport of any description...but it was a start, it was a sign that he might get back to some form of sport, which was a good thing as he was missing that edge so much, and every where he turned were reminders of what he'd lost.