Chapter 3
Nadine
I turned and looked at the door, for some reason I seemed to think just looking at it would tell me who was behind it. I hadn’t any calls or texts saying anyone was coming to see me and certainly hadn’t ordered room service. It occurred to me that it was probably Sarah and that I would now have to explain the absence of my sister. I also put the wine that I had just got out of mini bar back. If she has one glass of that, she’ll have everything in it and she won’t be footing the bill. I walked over to the door preparing to see my excitable friend standing with a bottle of champagne and coaxing me into going out on the town to celebrate the success. I really wasn’t in the party mood.
As the door swung open the last person I expected to see was standing there.
“Kimba? Kimberley?” I quickly remembered she didn’t seem to like me calling her Kimba anymore. We seemed to stand there looking at one another for ages. She looked angry but then she broke into a smile.
“Congratulations Nadine, I knew you’d do well,” I didn’t know whether to hug her or being cautious. I was starting think she had some serious personality disorder.
“You’d better come in then,” I said as gestured for her to enter. “Drink?”
“No, I won’t be stopping long, I just wanted to apologize really. It was silly for me to threaten you like that, it’s not your fault if people like your music more than Cheryl’s. She’s ok by the way, I think she’s a bit disappointed but she’ll get over it, number 2 is good and if it was anyone other than you at number 1 I don’t think she’d be to bothered.” There seemed to be a lot of information at once. But that was the most Kimberley had said to me for a while and I was somewhat grateful.
“I really did think she’d do better than me, she has legions of fans. I wasn’t being modest Kimberley, I knew what I had made was good, but I’m not Cheryl Cole the saint, the enigma, maybe even the second coming...” I could feel myself trailing off onto saying something that was going to ruin this moment so stopped when I saw Kimberley raise an eyebrow.
“It’s really okay Nadine, Cheryl will get over this and we’ll all be back together in a few months anyway,” she walked a bit nearer to me and I wondered what she was going to do. She came close and to my relief pulled me into a hug. I waited a second to check I wasn’t dreaming before hugging her back. It had been so long since there had been any warmth or closeness between us so I made the most of the moment. I closed my eyes and breathed in the scent of Kimberley’s shampoo, a smell which I had longed for, for a long time. As Kimberley pulled away and the hug came to an end I found myself staring into her eyes. That’s when I took the plunge. I leaned towards her and placed a light kiss on her lips, I was so desperate to taste her again and was relieved when she returned the gesture with a more forceful and passionate kiss. The kiss lasted a few seconds before we broke apart.
“Oh my God, Nadine, we really can’t go there again.” I felt my stomach twist as I realised I was about to be rejected. “It was a mistake before and it’s still not a good idea, I don’t know how we managed to keep it quiet before and I wouldn’t want anything to ruin what I have with Justin.”
I just stood there, I mean, what could I possibly say? I know before it was complicated but I was much younger then, we both were. The best moment of my life had just turned into the worst within a matter of seconds.
“Can’t we at least talk about it? You can’t do this to me again Kimberley.” I knew talking wouldn’t get us anywhere, we’d spent hours talking before and nothing ever was resolved.
“Ok, maybe we could meet again tomorrow?” But I couldn’t meet tomorrow, I was due back in L.A. I had work to do there that I had no way of getting out of. She looked at me waiting for what should have been an easy answer.
