by Roz James
Katherine found herself laid back on the rug as Adrienne slowly and painstakingly made love to her, her fingers inside her and her mouth on hers as she was taken stage by stage to greater heights of pleasure than she had ever experienced. Adrienne held her as she came back slowly to earth.
They ate heartily and talked until the sun went down. “Does Meliza know?”
“About my intention to propose, not from me no, but your parents may have told her. I don’t think it will come as any surprise though, she knew I was in love with you, I think she knew from the time she came to stay.”
“What about Nic?”
Katherine looked embarrassed. “When she came over to give feedback on the room, I asked her to honestly tell me if she thought it could work between us. I had wanted to tell you how I felt many times, that I’d fallen in love with you, but I wasn’t sure how it would be received.”
“So you asked Nic to tell you if she thought that I had feelings for you?”
Katherine looked embarrassed. “Yes... and whether she thought I could live here, base my life here?”
“And?”
“That’s what you overheard, her feedback.”
“Ah, now it makes sense. At the time I was devastated when I heard you, I was sure you were going home.”
“This is home Adrienne, I think I knew that from the first day I arrived and met a beautiful woman.”
“Flatterer.”
“It’s true, something clicked into place that day in the universe for me, I know it sounds corny but I believe it.”
Adrienne kissed her lightly. “When would you like to get married, do you have a timeline in mind?”
“Not specifically, that’s for both of us to agree, but I don’t want a long engagement unless you do?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Well, its only a few weeks until August when we go to London, October would still be warm and sunny here, unless you want a winter wedding. Or we wait until April. That would give us time to work on the hotel, out of season.”
Adrienne laughed. “Well unless your book becomes a bestseller that’s going to be a slow process, but that’s a good timescale, lets take some time and decide what we want. Talking about the book when are you going to publish it?”
Katherine smiled. “Well I was waiting for today actually.”
Adrienne looked confused. “Why today?”
“I wanted the dedication to be to my fiancée rather then my partner.” Katherine powered up her notepad and showed Adrienne the dedication, typing the change from girlfriend to fiancée.
Adrienne had tears in her eyes as she watched her, she couldn’t believe the last few months. She had been flattered that the book was about them, now knowing Katherine wanted to spend her life with her was amazing. She read the sentences.
To Adrienne, my love, my fiancée, without whom this novel would have ever been written. Who opened her home and has now agreed to share her life with me.
“That’s beautiful Katherine, please publish it tomorrow.” She looked down at her finger. “Can we go and tell people now?”
“Yes, come on.” They walked hand in hand back to the house.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
The next few weeks seemed to fly in. They skyped her parents and Meliza and Adrienne couldn’t believe it when her mother and sister cried. Even her father and Hakim seemed to have tears in their eyes, although they denied it.
When her parents visited for a few days and Calendra offered her her mother’s engagement ring for Katherine, she knew that they had accepted her. It was resized and Katherine loved it, aside from it being beautiful it signalled acceptance, and she knew what that meant to Adrienne. They loved the ideas for the hotel and Katherine knew that Adrienne had refused their offer of financial assistance to get up and running, she hoped that there wasn’t going to be a problem when she found out about London.
Nic was over the moon too and couldn’t wait for them to come to London so she could really get to know Adrienne, she could see how happy Katherine was. She joked with Kat. “Hey much as I’ll miss you, I’ll find solace in the free holidays.”
It seemed no time before they were packing again for their three weeks in London. Katherine had yet to tell Adrienne about her circumstances, she wanted to explain when she showed her, so that she would understand more fully. She also wanted time to work out how she could best support Nicole who was like a sister to her.
Katherine could see Nicole waiting for them outside arrivals, on the screen from the baggage collection area as they waited for their cases.
Adrienne shivered beside her. “God its cold.”
Katherine pulled her to her. “Hey this is summer here.” When she told Adie to bring some warm clothes she realised that she only had light jumpers. Katherine hadn’t brought many heavy clothes when she had left for Greece either, but had leant her a hooded sweatshirt. “You can share my clothes until we get to the shops.”
Adrienne pulled the last of the 2 bags from the carousal. “That’s us.”
“Ready to go?”
“I can’t wait.” Adie had holidayed with her family across Europe but had never been to the UK. Her mother didn’t enjoy flying so they had often travelled by ferry and car and going to the UK was beyond the time they had to holiday. She was however nervous to meet Nic as Katherine’s fiancée. Nic appeared to be happy for them, Adrienne just hoped that this was the case, she had had little time to get to know her when she came to Crete.
Katherine was looking forward to showing Adie London, they had already bought theatre and concert tickets and booked a range of restaurants. Adrienne had confessed she also wanted to see some of the tourist sites such as Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, and they had decided they would go on the London bus tour on their first warm sunny day.
Nic ran to them as they went through the doors, lifting Katherine up in a big bear hug, and then hugging Adie. Adrienne was still embarrassed that she had thought they were lovers, she suspected Kat had told Nic, but Nic had never said anything to make her feel uncomfortable. Nic drove them home, pointing out the many sights on the way.
Adrienne loved the Victorian architecture of the house on sight. Nic helped them take their cases to their room, the attic bedroom with an ensuite bathroom and access to a roof terrace. Katherine had argued with Nicole over this, as this had been her and Kevin’s room for months now, but Nic was clear that it was Kat’s house and that she wanted Adrienne to have the best room given her holiday.
They showed Adrienne around the flat, she loved its calm decor and warmth. A real flame gas fire sat in the original Victorian surround and the floor was sanded and varnished. They sat on the 2 comfortable leather couches as Nic make them a coffee.
“This is beautiful Nic, you have a really lovely home.”
“Thankyou but it’s Kat’s home really.”
Adrienne looked at Katherine in surprise.
“Yes, it’s my flat. Nic’s been staying here while I was in Greece.”
“Don’t you mean your house?”
Katherine glanced at her giving her a clear message to change the subject.
“So what are your plans?”
Katherine reached for Adrienne’s hand and held it on her thigh. “Well the sites of London, Adrienne wants to see all the tourist spots and I must say I’m looking forward to revisiting some of these too, most of them I haven’t been to since I was a child. It’s worrying how you can live in a city for years and not appreciate what’s around you. I also plan to take her to Durham too, catch up with some old University friends and show her where I spent my wild youth.”
“I’m really looking forward to the theatre, and the range of restaurants, I’ve tried different foods when I’ve travelled in Europe, but it’s difficult to get a wider range of foods in Greece. You can get them if you want to cook them yourself, but eating out is more of a challenge, particularly in a tourist area.”
Nic smiled. “Well, that good because I’m su
re that Kat will have told you that cooking is not my strong point, so I was planning pizza, or Chinese tonight, any preference?”
Kat looked at Adie.
“Oh Chinese please.”
They quickly moved from coffee to wine, and were chatting like old friends when Kevin arrived home. Katherine hugged him and introduced him to Adie. Kevin smiled and hugged her. “She’s beautiful Kat, you’ve done well for yourself.” Kat slapped him playfully as Adrienne watched them. Kevin was tall and lanky, with cropped dark hair and glasses, he was a good-looking guy, and clearly fond of Kat.
Kevin grabbed a beer from the kitchen and topped up their wine glasses, sitting on the floor against Nic’s legs. Adie could see that Nic loved him. “How long have you been together?”
Nic smiled. “Almost three years, I don’t know how I put up with him really, I can’t seem to shake him off.” Nic ruffled his hair as she spoke.
“Yes I’m like a limpit, what can I say it’s not her culinary skills that keeps me around... must be something else, aye Nic?”
“Mmm, thank god you can cook, I’d have starved to death or been 20 stone with carry out food by now.”
Kat laughed. “Talking of food, lets order, its been a long time since that Michelin star lunch on the plane, I’m starving.”
Adie laughed. “Good idea, before I drink any more, I don’t want to embarrass myself my first night in London.” She was surprised how relaxed she felt with Nic and Kevin already.
They ordered a range of different starters and main courses, rice and noodles and shared them, along with a few more glasses of wine. Kevin retired early as he had to be up at 6:30 for work, Nic had taken the next day off so accepted another glass of wine from Kevin before he left for bed.
Adrienne stretched saying she said she was going to bed just after Kevin, she wanted to give Nic and Katherine time alone to catch up.
Katherine went upstairs with Adrienne and kissed her goodnight. “Are you okay?”
“Yes baby I’m fine, but its been an exciting and tiring day and I wanted to give you and Nic some space to catch up.”
“Thanks, I won’t be too late though, I want to show you around tomorrow, at least locally. I’ll save the longer trips for when you are more rested, I know work’s been busy lately.”
Katherine topped up their wine before sitting back down in the living room.
“So, how does it feel to be back... I nearly said home but somehow I don’t think it is now?”
Katherine smiled, Nic was always perceptive. “Honestly, strange. You know I lived here with Tanya, slept in the bedroom I’m going to sleep in with Adrienne, it feels life a lifetime ago. Actually, it doesn’t feel like my house, and it’s not, from now on it’s going to be yours, yours and Kevin’s.” Katherine knew that Nic would be wondering about the house and had wanted to reassure her as early as she could.
“No Kat, it can’t be, I’ve already started looking for something else to rent. Kevin got promoted a couple of months ago and I got a pay rise, I think its about time you got this back Kat.”
“Can you afford something like this?”
Nic shook her head, she hadn’t intended to get into this discussion tonight. “You know I can’t, not as central anyway, but that’s not your problem Kat, we will afford what we can afford. You’ve been more than generous. This opportunity has shown that we get on well living together, we’re getting engaged too, at Christmas.”
Katherine shrieked and then realised what noise she was making and out her hand over her mouth, she hugged Nic. “God Nic, that’s great, I’m so happy for you, you know I love Kevin. If you are having a party I hope we’re invited.”
“Yes, but quiet for now okay, we haven’t even told family.”
“Sorry, I think I just told the street. Look Nic you are my family, I’d like you to stay here, and anyway you’d both be doing me a favour.”
“I thought you might be selling to invest in the hotel?”
“Nic I’ve not even spoken to Adrienne about this, I haven’t even told her that I’m a property owner, never mind the value of them.”
“Why not, now that you are engaged?”
“Not because I think she’s after me for my money, she’s independent. Her parents are probably pretty wealthy from what I’ve seen of their house and the hotel they own, and they have offered her money to create her hotel and she had said no. No, it’s just I wanted to show her and then tell her, when she understood more about my life, more about the value of things in London, that I wouldn’t have to sell or re-mortgage much to do so much in Greece.”
“So what’s the plan...do you have one?”
“To re-mortgage one of the flats and free up some money for the hotel development. I’ve got a proposition for you, to take on the management of this building and my flats, what I save in agents’ fees I’ll take off the rent for here, or whatever flat you want.”
“You want to employ me, really?”
“No actually, I love you Nic, even though we’ve not known each other for that many years, you are like my sister. I just want to let you stay here, rent free forever if you want, but I know you, never mind Kevin, won’t allow that so I’m trying to find a compromise. Plus I hate paying agents, they take money and do so little.”
Nic was suddenly animated. “God I know, the number of calls I’ve had these last few months, things I’ve had to sort out that I thought the agent would do.”
She watched as Katherine smiled. “You bitch, you were setting me up for this, you did that on purpose didn’t you?”
“If you mean did I give you an opportunity to show you that you would be able to manage this?”
“Katherine!”
“Don’t credit me with so much foresight. When I first decided to stay for six months, this was helping me as well as you. I wasn’t ready to come home at all then, I left here a wreck Nic you know that, I’d have been even worse if it wasn’t for you. The fact that you stepped in meant that I didn’t have to. I couldn’t face it, but come on, even I couldn’t have predicted what would happen and that I’d be staying. God if I could look into the future like that I’d have stayed in Spain and fucked Tanya senseless until I’d worked through my lust, not brought her home with me and certainly not proposed. Let’s face it though, it has had that effect, it’s shown you that you can manage, you could do this.
I’m not pressurising you Nic, if you hate the thought, if you want to find somewhere else then great, do what’s right for you. Speak to Kevin, see what you think, if you are interested I’m sure that we can come to a mutually beneficial agreement.”
Nic laughed. “Yes boss.”
“Good point, pour me another drink serf, and remember I’ve not spoken to Adie about any of this.”
“Okay I will. What about some toast?”
“Ah you know me so well.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
The next day was warm and sunny and after having brunch in an organic cafe the three women wandered around Chiswick looking around the many small independent shops and boutiques. Adrienne bought two jumpers and a thicker jacket. Later in the afternoon they sat outside at a wine bar, sharing a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and watching the world go by. The forecast for the next day was also warm and sunny and they decided that they would go on the open top bus tour.
Nic groaned. “It’s alright for some, some of us poor souls have to work.”
They went into the supermarket on the way home and bought the ingredients for macaroni. Adrienne and Nic watched as Katherine cooked. Adrienne could see that Kat knew her way around the kitchen, of course it was her kitchen, she suddenly realised that this was probably where she had stayed with Tanya. The thought was painful, and it reminded her how little she knew of Katherine’s life prior to her appearance in Greece.
“Kat, did Tanya live with you here?”
Katherine looked at Nic before looking at Adie, she would only be honest with her. “For a while yes.”
“And you’ve kep
t it on, the flat I mean?”
“Yes, I own the flat Adie, I owned it long before I met Tanya. Nic and Kevin have lived here and looked after it for me while I’ve been in Greece.”
“And now, what are your plans?”
“That’s for us to agree babe, what’s mine will be yours. Let’s talk about it tomorrow okay, I’ll explain all about my life here and we can decide together.”
“Okay.” Katherine could see she looked doubtful.
“Anyway, I need to concentrate on your favourite meal, before I take you out for dinner more and you realise that my version is just average.”
They dined on macaroni with onion and chorizo, garlic bread and salad. Kevin and Nic went to bed early and Kat and Adie snuggled up on the couch watching a chick flick. Katherine reached for her in bed but Adrienne claimed tiredness and turned away from her. Katherine wondered whether she was focusing on her life here with Tanya.
The next day they had already planned to get up early and when she woke Adie was already in the shower. After missing the worst of the rush hour, they took the underground to the closest stop for the bus tour. Adrienne had been to busy European cities on holiday, Rome, Barcelona and Athens, however she was surprised at the sheer numbers in London. She loved the palace and the history of the Tower of London and they had reserved a table at an Italian restaurant in Covent Garden for dinner at 7 p.m.
“Wow, this is a beautiful Kat, what a day, London is a stunning city.”
They ordered wine and water and each ordered a pasta main course. Katherine watched as the cute waiter tried to flirt with Adrienne. She was an incredibly beautiful woman, and she had agreed to marry her, she knew how lucky she was. She ensured that she was holding her hand when he next came to the table.
Adie looked at her and smiled. “Jealous?”
Katherine looked into her eyes, her desire apparent. “Oh yeah.”
Adie smiled at her. “That’s hot.”
Katherine brought her hand to her lips.