Chapter 17
“Have you just had sex in your dressing room?” whispered Simon, leaning in towards Cheryl as she settled herself down in her chair, struggling to get comfortable with the mic pack.
She turned to look at him, still half sat down, opening her mouth in genuine shock and giving him a look. “No I have not”, she whispered back indignantly, pulling at her dress as she finally sat down.
Dannii looked at them but looked away when she saw Cheryl’s expression, deciding it was a private conversation.
“Well,” whispered Simon, pulling an amused face back at her, “Kimberley wasn’t pinning you against the table to put eye drops in…or was she?”
Cheryl stared back at him, for a second unable to respond. Then over his shoulder she caught sight of Kimberley settling herself down into her seat on the front row with the other 3 girls. Kimberley looked up and smiled at her. Cheryl smiled back, immediately relaxing.
“No, she wasn’t putting eye drops in. We were kissing. But we weren’t having sex” she whispered back at him, then a mischievous smile covered her face, “there’s no lock on the door”.
He smiled back, knowingly. “I think everyone in here knows about what happened in your dressing room. And I always knew there was something funny going on”.
“Oh you did not!” Cheryl whispered, laughing.
He pouted. “Well, I bet you’ve had some sort of an argument this week and you made up on Thursday”.
Cheryl frowned, “how can you know that?”
He smiled and shrugged, “You weren’t eating properly and you looked tired, and then yesterday you came into work after a day off and suddenly you were your smiley self again, and you polished off a bigger lunch than Louis.”
“One minute till we go live” came the floor manager’s voice across the floor.
Cheryl smiled and shook her head. “Unbelievable. And they say you’re not a softy”.
He winked. “If the kid’s happy, I’m happy. But don’t tell anyone I said that” and he popped a mint in his mouth.
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Cheryl rolled over onto her stomach, stretching an arm out onto Kimberley’s side of the bed. She opened one eye when her hand just found mattress, and frowned.
She pulled the duvet across and got out of bed, stretching and noticed the ensuite light was off. Grabbing her robe off the chair, she made her way downstairs, putting it on and listening out for noise.
“Kimberley?”
She flicked on the radio and set about making tea, frowning as she tried to work out where Kimberley could be.
She took her phone off the table where she had left it the night before and dialled Kimberley’s number, confused. As the call connected she drummed her fingers impatiently on the table.
Suddenly the sound of Kimberley’s familiar ringtone made her jump and she pouted when she saw Kimberley’s mobile vibrating on the coffee table.
“Oh great”, she muttered.
Several moments passed, while Cheryl sipped at her tea and thought back to the night before. Simon had made some cheeky comments about her love life on air, and Holly had done the same with Kimberley when she had interviewed her on her own.
Cheryl had laughed most of it off but had watched in amazement as Kimberley had done the same. If Cheryl had been worried how Kimberley would cope with the attention and the questions about their relationship, last night Kimberley had shown her that was all in the past.
She heard a key in the door and Kimberley appeared in the hallway with a plastic bag in one hand. She spotted Cheryl sat at the table and her nose screwed up as she grinned.
“Morning you”.
“Where’ve you been?” Cheryl asked, smiling back.
“I nipped down to the shop for some croissants for breakfast. Did you make me a cup?” replied Kimberley, pointing at Cheryl’s mug and making her way into the kitchen.
Cheryl stood up and followed her. “No – I didn’t know where you’d got to. Why didn’t you say?”
Kimberley turned and grinned, pointing at the fridge. Cheryl looked at the fridge and spotted a note in Kimberley’s handwriting held in place by a small magnet.
“Just nipping to the shop. Back soon. Love you xxx”
Cheryl frowned. “I went in the fridge for milk.”
Kimberley laughed as she busied herself putting the croissants onto a big plate and made herself a cup of tea. “I don’t know why I bother – I should have attached it to a rose maybe and left it on my pillow”.
“Oooh yes, we like that” agreed Cheryl, sitting down at the kitchen table and taking a croissant off the plate. “Oooh Kimba these are still warm”.
Kimberley smiled as she joined her at the table. “I know – that’s why I made the effort to go and get them from the shop”.
She observed Cheryl spreading some jam inside the hot croissant, pulling her fingers away when she felt them burning, but battling on so she could spread the jam.
“That’s not all I went for,” Kimberley continued, pulling some newspapers out of the plastic bag she’d left on the table.
“Oh god,” said Cheryl, pretending to be petrified of them and making a cross sign with her fingers. “Not the dreaded tabloids!”
Kimberley laughed. “I figured we may as well see what the general reaction is…and check the statement Hilary released and stuff…”
“Hit me,” said Cheryl, taking a bite out of her croissant and holding her other hand out for a newspaper.
They spent the next few minutes scanning the front few pages of the various tabloids Kimberley had brought back. Truth was, the general reaction was positive and the main focus was on how long it had been going on, and the various pictures the journalists could dig up showing the girls being affectionate – only adding to the speculation as to how long they’d been together.
Cheryl leaned back in her chair and observed Kimberley who was sat forward, concentration etched on her face as she read.
Kimberley felt Cheryl’s eyes on her and looked up, immediately smiling and reaching a hand out to stroke the top of Cheryl’s which was resting on top of her half empty mug.
“They got one thing right”, she declared, pointing at all of the papers strewn across the table.
“What’s that?” asked Cheryl, smiling back.
“Well, they might be talking absolute b*llocks about how long it’s been going on and all that, but they’ve all quoted our official statement correctly,” and she pushed a newspaper towards Cheryl, pointing at the end paragraph of the article with her nail.
“A spokesperson for Girls Aloud confirmed last night that Cheryl Tweedy and Kimberley Walsh have been involved in a long-term sentimental relationship for some time now. She asked for some privacy and respect for the couple as they adjust to this becoming public knowledge”.
Cheryl nodded as she read it. “Yeah, at least they haven’t misquoted us, even if the rest of it is a pile of sh*te. I suppose we can be grateful for that. And I told you I kept getting my photo taken with my hand where it shouldn’t be!”
Kimberley laughed, “Yeah but I didn’t realise I had as well!” and she shook her head. “It’s not as bad as I thought it’d be, you know” she said, squeezing Cheryl’s hand.
Cheryl smiled and squeezed Kimberley’s fingers, “what did you expect – people chucking things at us in the street?”
Kimberley smiled and gestured for Cheryl to sit on her knee. “I don’t know,” she admitted, putting her arms round Cheryl’s waist as the other girl settled on her lap. “I just know that I never thought I’d be ok with it. And well, actually it doesn’t even bother me. Not if we’re facing it together.”
Cheryl leaned forward and kissed Kimberley’s cheek. “I did worry, but I don’t know why - cause you’re dealing with it better than me!” and she laughed. “Going down to the shop on your own the very morning the world gets to know…”
Kimberley laughed, “I know – I surprise myself. I never thought I’d feel this way”.
Cheryl rested her head on Kimberley’s shoulder. “I love you so much”.
Kimberley bent her head slightly, kissing Cheryl on the top of her head. “I love you more”.
Cheryl giggled, “No you don’t – I love you more”.
Kimberley laughed. “I said it first – I win – I love you more”.
Cheryl smiled, lifting her head up and turning her face to look at Kimberley. “When the X Factor is over, I’m taking you on holiday – before I have to carry on with the album promotion and we all have to go back in the studio. Somewhere secluded - where we won’t be disturbed”.
“Oooh,” replied Kimberley, grinning back at her. “Sun?”
“Check” nodded Cheryl, kissing Kimberley’s forehead.
“Sea?” asked Kimberley.
“Check” nodded Cheryl, kissing Kimberley’s nose.
“Sex?” asked Kimberley, raising an eyebrow.
“Definitely check,” nodded Cheryl, leaning in and kissing Kimberley tenderly on the lips.
THE END