Chapter 17
“Sentimental?” Nadine questioned. “What did you get her Kimba? An engagement ring?” she joked.
Taking a sip of her tea, Kimberley shot her an incredulous look. “Of course not!” she exclaimed. “It’s just something that will let her know how much she means to me”
Pausing she found three pairs of inquisitive eyes staring back at her. “And don’t look at me like that please. There’s no way I’m telling you lot what it is!”
“Awww come on!” Nicola begged as Sarah rose to her knees on the floor and shuffled closer to Kimberley. “We won’t tell her!”
Kimberley let out a loud laugh. “Firstly Sarah, you would almost definitely tell her!” she quipped causing Sarah to roll her eyes. “And secondly, and most importantly, it’s something that’s just between me and her”
“But…” Sarah began to argue when she was interrupted by the doorbell.
Smiling begrudgingly, Nicola rose to her feet. “Saved by the bell Kimba! I’ll get it”
Making her way down the hallway, Nicola could hear Sarah pestering Kimberley again. She smiled to herself. Sarah wasn’t the kind of girl that cared about sentimental gifts. Not when others were receiving them anyway! But, it was just something about seeing Kimberley happy again that made everyone excited.
Opening the door to the flat, her smile grew wider in amazement. A very well-known man was standing in the doorway, his back hunched as an inebriated looking Cheryl Tweedy slumped against him slightly.
“Delivery!” the man dead panned followed by an exclamation of “Surprise!” from Cheryl.
“Oh my God!” Nicola gasped. “You’re Simon Cowell!”
“I am” he smiled shifting a little as Cheryl leaned on him further. “You must be Nicola”
“Yeah! How’d you know that?” she gasped unable to believe Simon Cowell was aware of her existence.
“The kid never shuts up about you lot. I feel like I know you all” he laughed. “Now, where shall I put this?” he joked gesturing to the Geordie.
“Kimberley!” Nicola called, her eyes not moving from the unusual pair. “There’s a delivery here for you”
“What are you on about Nic?” she called as she made her way to the door. “I haven’t ordered anything!” The sight that met her eyes caused her to laugh.
“Hiiii baby” Cheryl smiled sweetly at her approaching girlfriend.
“Hello you” Kimberley chuckled as she scooped Cheryl from Simon’s side into a warm embrace. “I wasn’t expecting to see you tonight”
“Surprise!” she exclaimed again before planting a soft kiss on Kimberley’s lips. Pulling away slowly, she placed her forehead against Kimberley’s and whispered “I wanted to see you baby. I missed you”.
Sensing the intimacy of the moment, Simon felt it was only right that he take his leave. Clearing his throat, he said polite goodbyes to Kimberley and Nicola before patting Cheryl firmly on the head with a “Bye kid” emanating through a soft chuckle.
Closing the door behind him, Nicola walked ahead into the living room leaving Cheryl and Kimberley behind in the hall still caught in their loving embrace. Leaning in to kiss her girlfriend again, Cheryl suddenly stopped, looking at Kim, her brow furrowed in confusion.
“Hey, what time is it?” she asked randomly.
“It’s after midnight honey” Kimberley told her softly, stroking her cheek lightly as she spoke. “Why?”
“I thought you said you would have gotten tired and gone to bed by now!” Cheryl challenged her before reasoning “It’s why I didn’t cancel on Simon!”
“Well…” she began, giggling at her girlfriend’s surprisingly accurate recollection. “I thought you weren’t going to have a drink tonight!”
Pausing to think about Kimberley’s statement, an adorable look of bewilderment flashed across the Geordie’s face before she turned back to Kimberley. “You’ve got me there babe” she stated simply, before stumbling as she headed towards the living room.
Kimberley smiled taking Cheryl’s hand in both a gesture of affection and an attempt to steady her as she walked. “Come on you. Let’s get you a glass of water shall we?”
“Oi, oi!” Sarah exclaimed with a grin as the Geordie half stumbled into the room. “Look what the cat’s dragged in!”
“Cheryl!” Nadine smiled too before turning to Kimberley in a whisper. “I told you she’d turn up. She’s mad about you hun” Blushing with a mixture of happiness and embarrassment, Kimberley continued to the kitchen for her girlfriend’s much needed water as Cheryl plopped herself down on the couch.
“Helloooo Ladiiiies. Have you all been taking care of my girl?” she slurred, her eyes drooping occasionally with signs of her drunken state.
“We’ve been doin our best anyway” Nadine giggled. “I take it you had a good night then?”
“I did” she agreed seriously. “Simon just kept buying drink… after drink… after drink… after drink… after drink…after…”
“Ok baby, I think we get it” Kim laughed as she reentered the room with Cheryl’s water. Handing it over carefully, she sat herself down beside her girlfriend.
“Don’t I just have the best girlfriend in the world?” Cheryl asked the other three girls as she accepted her drink. “Isn’t she amazing?” she asked again causing them all to laugh. “Yeah I’m a regular saint” Kimberley said her voice dripping with sarcasm…not that Cheryl noticed as she continued on her rant.
“I mean look at her!” she told the girls as she gestured at Kimberley, spilling a little water in the process. “She’s so beautiful isn’t she? Look at those eyes! And those lips!!”
“Alright Chez…” Kim warned with a giggle. “They’ve all seen me before. You don’t need to describe me!”
“And those hips” she continued to which Kimberley rose from the couch laughing still.
“Ok I think it might be time for bed babe…” she said reaching her hand out for Cheryl to take. Again, Cheryl took no notice.
“And that arse!”
“Bed…NOW!” Kimberley insisted as she pulled Cheryl up firmly from the couch to a chorus of laughter from their friends.
“Bed?” she asked, finally hearing her girlfriend. “I thought you’d never ask babe”
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“I’m just going to brush my teeth honey” Kimberley told Cheryl as she sauntered into the en suite bathroom. “Make yourself comfortable”
“I will do” Cheryl said before giving her girlfriend a sexy wink. “Don’t be too long”
As she brushed, Kimberley suppressed a laugh. There was no doubt about Cheryl’s sex drive. From experience Kimberley had discovered that she was going out with the woman with the highest libido in Britain. She wondered though, how, in her inebriated state, Cheryl would manage to stay awake! Entering the bedroom again, she realized that she wouldn’t. Having stripped her clothes off, Cheryl lay in bed on her side in just her underwear. The slow, steady rise and fall of her chest told Kimberley that she was well on the way to the land of nod and so Kimberley climbed in to bed careful not to wake her.
As she settled herself into a comfortable position, she smiled to herself at the events of the evening. Although she hadn’t admitted it to her friends, she had hoped Cheryl would come over and, even though she was very drunk… she was a cute drunk!
“Kimberley…” A small voice snapped her from her reverie.
“Yes my darling?” she answered.
“Will you cuddle me?”
Kimberley felt her heart squeeze with love as she heard the soft whisper of her sleepy lover and, as she rolled onto her side and wrapped her arms tightly around her waist, she kissed her lightly on the cheek,
“You’re the cutest thing in the world” she told her, expecting no reply. But after a few moments and a soft sigh, the words she craved came in a voice so quiet it could barely be heard.
“Love you baby. More than anything”
