When most couples experience their first time together, they normally tidy up the house a little on the day leading up to the night, but it seemed as though Richard Armitage wanted to make it a little more than a special night at home for his girlfriend Kimberley. Now knowing as much as she was prepared to tell about what she had been put through in her past, which explained a lot about her as far as he was concerned, he the took time out from acting to go to the Blue Waters Resort and Spa in Antigua with her.
"Richard you can't be serious" was her response when she saw the plane tickets in her hand and he first told him of his plans but all he did was sit and smile at her with those ridiculously straight teeth, "Oh but I am serious" Richard replied as he pulled her onto his lap, smiling and laughing at her reaction, kissing her square on the shoulder, not missing the mark, something she knew was something he loved to do so she didn't question him, "One week in Antigua and the next with me in Jamaica as I start on a new film".
Her head was figuratively spinning with all of this information. Richard Armitage, the man she loved more than anything and anyone in her whole life not only wanted to take that next step on the first anniversary of their first date but he also wanted it to happen in one of the world's most beautiful places, completely untouched by development, but the one thing that came to her mind at the most inopportune moment was where being with him for such a long period of time would leave her job but, in typical Richard style, he already had that sorted.
"Your bosses have agreed to give you an extended holiday given the situation that suddenly arose earlier this year" Richard explained in reference to the fact that Kimberley and Stella, along with a few others in the customs and general border protection had been taken hostage in one of the offices and although he'd never outright admit it to Kimberley at least, Richard couldn't remember the last time when he had been even half as scared as he was on that day, staying away so as to not distract the attention of the media, which included quite naturally Kimberley's sister Gabrielle.
One of the things that Richard had noticed about Kimberley in their year together was that if she didn't have to get up to go to work at one of the busiest airports in the world, much less all of Europe, then, particularly in winter, she liked to stay where she knew it would be nice and warm for as long as she possibly could. Which was why, he surmised, she was going to end up really hating him for the fact that he had arranged an early flight out of her workplace to the Blue Waters Resort and Spa, Antigua.
"I really hate you sometimes" she muttered as she rested her head on his shoulder as they sat in their allocated seats, Richard having pulled the armrest up so that there was nothing in their way, making it much more comfortable. He didn't say anything except smile and tighten his hold on her hand as he brought it up to his lips and kissed it, earning a slight nod of approval from an elderly couple across the aisle (two rows forward), a move Richard by now knew was enough to proverbial melt her and this time was no different than the last.
The next thing Kimberley knew he was gently shaking her awake as they were the last to be leaving the first class area (and she put up a fight over that when she found out) and rather than the arctic blast of the London winter air that greeted them everytime they set one foot outside their home, a warm breeze and a cloudless blue sky was waiting for them as Richard walked down the alleyway out of the plane with her hand firmly in his, telling her if there were reporters or fans waiting, not to let go of his hand.
Upon arrival at the resort, Kimberley was in for an even bigger surprise when she saw that the room he had reserved for them had two walls on each side of the balcony which blocked the view of neighbouring rooms but maintained an effortless panoramic view of the bluest water she had probably ever seen in all of her life. So mesmerised was she by the blue water that she didn't hear him come up from behind and affectionately wrap both of his arms around her, causing her, as always, to lean back as he kissed her forehead and smiled softly.
"I want to thank you for bringing me out here; this is really something I could have used as a way to at least try to relax and forget what went on at work" she said as she turned in his arms and gently laid her head on his chest, although she was in fact tall enough to be able to put her head under his without discomfort to her, "You're welcome darling" he replied in an equally soft tone, "You've really got some pretty amazing bosses to let me do this for you and even Stella was backing me up".
That night, dressed as nicely as possible, Richard and Kimberley headed from their firmly locked suite to the Cove Restaurant where Richard had arranged an outdoor seat so that they could sit and watch the sun disappear over the ocean as they enjoyed a dinner of prawn cocktail with Marie Rose sauce, grilled salmon steak for main course and chocolate lava cake which they had brought up to their room, something Richard never thought that he would have ever done but he wnated to be alone with Kimberley as soon as he was able to, even if nothing happened then.
