Hunger in my Heart

Chapter 11

Cheryl sat next to Kimberley on the large sectional sofa in the solarium, watching her dogs Buster and Coco chasing a small ball, and each other, around the garden through the open terrace doors. Kimberley was engrossed in going over the script for the new show was presenting which was having it's first taping tomorrow, flipping through the pages and making notes here and there with a serious face. Cheryl loved watching Kimberley in business mode, she had often found herself getting inappropriately turned on at various meetings with accountants and lawyers over the years. Everyone else would practically be banging their heads off the desks in boredom, and complete bewilderment usually, but Kimberley would be right in there running things. And they were all perfectly happy to leave her to it, first because they were all rubbish at anything to do with business and they knew it, but mostly because they trusted Kimberley implicitly and would have no qualms whatsoever signing whatever she told them to, because they all knew she had done whatever was best for the group as a whole.

Unable to resist the expanse of bare thigh close to her own anymore, Cheryl reached over and ran an appreciative hand down the smooth tanned skin before letting her hand rest just above Kimberley's knee. Kimberley paused momentarily in her perusal of her papers, flashed Cheryl a quick smile and then carried on reading. Cheryl was relieved, Kimberley seemed normal since she had come downstairs, Cheryl thought she may have ruined the careful balance they had forged over the last week by being too pushy earlier. Once in the shower, she had spent a good deal of time castigating herself for pushing an issue that Kimberley obviously wasn't ready or willing to deal with. She needed to be more careful in her approach or she could literally ruin everything.

Just then her mam came into the solarium with Kimberley's brother Adam trailing behind.

"Look who just braved the gauntlet out there to see you guys," Cheryl's mam announced referring to the annoyingly persistent photographers who continued to loiter just outside the gates to her home.

"Adam!" Cheryl exclaimed before jumping up to fold him into a warm hug, "It's great to see you! So, how is my favourite ex-boyfriend doing?"

Gripping Cheryl in a solid hug before pulling away to look at her closely, Adam laughed out loud at the running joke. It had done his reputation wonders when he was just twenty-one and Cheryl had come with Kimberley to their home in Bradford a few times, next thing he knew all the tabloids were reporting he was dating Cheryl. He wished! He had had a huge crush on her back then, but alas she had always treated him like a kid brother, even though they were practically the same age.

"Cheryl, it's great to see you too. You had us all a bit frantic you know, especially this one," he said while indicating his sister as he greeted her with a kiss and a quick hug.

"I know, but that's all in the past now as you can see I'm totally on the mend," Cheryl assured him before sitting back down on the sofa next to Kimberley, tucking her legs underneath herself and without even a conscious thought, resting her hand back on Kimberley's bare thigh as she leaned into her side.

Adam's brow crept up a little as he took a chair across from the two, he was quite used to it of course, Cheryl and Kimberley were the most physically affectionate and warmest people that he knew. They had always been extremely affectionate with each other, in fact, there had been a time years ago when he was sure they were seeing each other, but then the next thing he knew Cheryl was dragging that arsehole to everything and going on about her dream wedding. He supposed he must have been wrong. But the way they were sitting right now could not be more like a couple if they tried, he observed. Maybe what he had to tell Kimberley wouldn't go over as bad as he thought it would, he mused with a mental grimace.

"Adam, do you want something to drink? How about something to eat?" Joan offered, always willing to feed her kids.

"No really, I'm good I have to get going soon. I have a date tonight. Thanks though." he said with a grin.