Richard had been back from the press and promotional whirlwind for his newset film THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG, and unsurprisingly it had been a massive cinematic hit the world over, for at least a couple of days now and after he'd had a chance to get himself properly readjusted to the British timezone, Kimberley found a text message had come through on her phone during a break at work asking what time she was going to be finished at work that day and if it was going to be early enough for him to be able to take her out on their very first date.
She apologetically said she was working double shifts on that particular day but had the whole weekend free if he was able to come up with a time that would suit the two of them and he was as it turned out free for the whole weekend too, so after getting her residential address, he agreed to pick her up there at 11am for a whole afternoon out at a place that, against her better judgement despite already knowing that he was nothing like her ex, she had agreed to let him choose.
"I can't believe you're going on a date with Richard fucking Armitage" her workmate Stella Consuelos said in a low tone of voice as they sat in their office as the end of the double shift was coming closer and closer with each passing second. "What is the big deal about him; he is just an ordinary guy like everyone else" Kimberley said with a laugh, her voice the same tone and volume as Stella, "I probably wouldn't have even met him if my sister hadn't been her usual annoying self and constantly badgered me into going to the premiere with her".
"Hold on a minute" laughed Stella, "You're going out with Richard Armitage because Gabi had badgered you into going to the latest Hobbit film premiere with her; at which Richard took an interest in you whether you happened to like it and knowing you Kim you didn't like it at all given your history" she paused gauging her friend's reaction, "But although I do not know him at all; well not yet anyway; as far as his public personality is concerned it truly seems as if he is the complete polar opposite of a certain somenoe whose name really isn't worth mentioning".
11am Saturday came around a great deal faster than what Kimberley would have liked and she ran down the stairs in her sneakers and outfit for an afternoon at Thorpe Park when she heard the doorbell ring a few times. Opening the door, she saw Richard standing there in an outfit very similar to the one that she was wearing; except he had chosen a dark royal blue shirt to match his jeans (given it was the mid-autumn/fall after all) while she wore pale blue jeans and a purple shirt, all of which was offset perfectly by her white shoes.
Gabrielle had braided Kimberley's hair for her before twisting it all onto the top of her head so if by some miracle Richard had been able to talk her into a few attractions where they were likely to get slightly damp, she wouldn't have to wait all day for her hair to dry, which to Kimberley at least was somewhat relieving; although Richard confessed halfway through the day that he preferred seeing her with her hair down, in its natural state and didn't shy away from publicly holding her hand even if the media had got the 'wrong end of the stick'.
Just like Princess Diana before them, Kimberley and Richard were snapped by paparazzi as the log flume came to a slow stop at the base of a pretty steep drop, and while Richard felt a little incensed that they had not been able to enjoy a day without being taken advantage of in that way, Kimberley didn't really seem to care that much about it, somehow knowing that this is what she would have to put up with if she were to get seriously involved with a now somewhat famous actor, even if Richard wasn't yet on Brad Pitt's level.
The Hot Dog House was the only place where Richard and Kimberley could agree on to get a bit of a snack before heading out of the park as the sun began to set because Richard said he wanted to take her somewhere that was at its most beautiful at that time of the day and in spite of getting some serious flashbacks to the last time she was alone with a man at some potentially out of the way place, she agreed because something was telling her that he could be trusted, that he would never think of trying anything.
He took her to a park bench on the opposite side of the river to the Houses of Parliament and the Big Ben which took on a brilliant orange and yellow hue as the sun began to slowly disappear for the end of the day down the back of the buildings and while there was a time when she would have flinched at the attempt, she allowed Richard to take her small hand in his, linking their fingers together with a gentle squeeze, lifting her hand to his lips and gently kissing it, his eyes not for a second leaving hers.
When Kimberley returned home she found a message from her sister on voicemail saying it was going to be another late night as it usually was at that time of the week, so she would be facing another meal night alone, except this time she just managed to catch Richard before he left and invited him in, something that surprised her immensely given what she had been through and although she knew the time would come when she would have to tell Richard what Bryan, who was now in prison for several other offences on top of this, she couldn't yet.
