DISCLAIMER: Characters from BG belong to Shed Productions and characters from ER belong to NBC. They do not belong to me and only behave in the manner depicted because I want them to.
Chapter Four
The day of the conference dawned and Helen and Nikki took the unexpected step of travelling down to Brighton together. On the train from London Victoria, Nikki sat reading the paper while Helen sat opposite her, reading the latest edition of the British Medical Journal. It was about thirty minutes into the journey and the two had hardly spoken. Nikki fidgeted in her seat. She hated uncomfortable atmospheres and she wasn’t looking forward to spending a whole weekend in Helen’s company if this was what it was going to be like. Lost in her own little world, Helen didn’t notice Nikki’s fidgeting. She too was anxious about the weekend but not for entirely the same reasons as Nikki. Admittedly, she was also worried about the uncomfortable atmospheres between them but she was more worried about her increasing obsession with this woman. Nikki was the last thing on her mind when she went to sleep at night and the first thing she thought of when she woke up in the morning. She couldn’t even escape when she was asleep and this was usually the time when her brain decided to betray her and fill her head with erotic thoughts of Nikki. Admittedly, the dreams were pleasurable and when she woke up, it was always with a sense of regret that the dream had finished, but then her conscious mind would always come into play and she would be filled with horror at the idea that she could be turning into a lesbian. Not that she had anything against lesbians per se, she had just never had to face feelings of attraction for another woman before and she had certainly never expected to either. Her feelings for Nikki came as a complete shock to her system. And then there was Sean. Helen had done nothing but find fault with him lately. Whatever he did, he couldn’t do it right and Helen wanted to scream at him for not being more like Nikki. She even had to bite her lip during sex with him, to make sure she didn’t call out Nikki’s name. After all, the only way she could bring herself to orgasm with Sean now, was to fantasize that it was Nikki making love to her.
A small sniff from Nikki interrupted Helen’s train of thought and caused her to look over at the object of her affection. Unaware she was being observed, Nikki continued to read her paper. Helen found it difficult to believe just how much Nikki affected her. Just looking at Nikki made Helen want to make mad passionate love to her and, at the same time, the intensity of her feelings made her want to cry. Looking at Nikki’s thick, closely-cropped, black hair made Helen want to run her fingers through it and those eyes...those deep, dark eyes - they just seemed to draw her in and pull her into the depths of Nikki’s soul. Surely one could drown in them, mused Helen to herself, smiling. Just at that moment, Nikki looked up and caught Helen smiling at her. Well, this is a turn up for the books, she thought to herself. A smile from the iron lady herself.
“What?” she ventured.
“Sorry?” Helen stammered, suddenly aware that she had been caught staring.
“I just wondered what you were smiling at?” Nikki commented, hoping that this was an opportunity to engage Helen in civilised conversation.
“Oh, nothing,” Helen replied, clearly embarrassed. “I just read something vaguely amusing in the BMJ that’s all.”
“Show me,” Nikki insisted, calling Helen’s bluff.
“What? Oh no, it was nothing. Trivial really.” Helen replied shakily, choosing to put the magazine in her holdall well out of Nikki’s reach.
“Oh well, if you’ve finished reading, then you’ll just have to talk to me.”
Helen’s face dropped as she panicked at the thought of being forced to have a conversation with this forceful woman who was both her adversary and her would-be dream lover.
Nikki saw the look on Helen’s face and immediately took offence. “Well thank you Helen. I can’t say I’m enthralled at the prospect of having to make conversation with you either. You’re not exactly the most affable person I’ve ever met. I don’t know why I bother sometimes, really I don’t.”
Clearly embarrassed at the thought of having a confrontation in public, Helen gave a brief “If you’ll excuse me” and took her belongings off to another carriage to sit, quietly fuming, for the remainder of the journey.
To make matters worse for Nikki and Helen, when they actually came to book into their room at the Hotel, they found that, instead of sharing a twin room, they were in fact sharing a double room. Both were shocked as they entered the room and encountered a very over- the- top four poster bed.
“This must be the honeymoon suite,” Nikki laughed.
“Oh, this just gets better and better doesn’t it?” moaned Helen.
Nikki smirked. “Don’t worry yourself Helen, I might just pull while we’re here and then you’ll have this lovely bed all to yourself, won’t you?”
Helen felt a stab of jealousy at these words but she was determined not to let it show. “Don’t kid yourself Nikki - even lesbians must have taste. I don’t know why anyone would want to bother with someone as obnoxious as you.”
Nikki scowled at Helen. She was only one step away from smacking her across the face. She despaired at her situation. Why on earth was she always attracted to complete bitches? And usually straight ones at that! She walked over to the bathroom to distance herself from Helen and looked at the facilities. She peeped round the door at Helen, a smile once again on her lips. “Well at least that’s one thing Helen. If you do decide you can’t bear to share the same bed as me, there’s more than enough room for one of us in the bathtub - it’s huge.”
Chapter Five
The Conference wasn’t due to start until early the following day. All Nikki and Helen had to do was register at the conference venue and then the rest of the evening was theirs to spend it how they chose.
“Helen, do you fancy a walk on the beach?” Nikki asked shyly. “There isn’t anything to do conference-wise so we might as well behave like tourists. Are you interested?”
Helen agreed half heartedly. She didn’t really want to spend any more time than was necessary with Nikki at the moment but Nikki was right, there wasn’t much else they could do until the conference started.
Nikki rambled on about anything and everything as they walked down the deserted beach together. She was determined not to get into any kind of argument with Helen and knew they had to avoid work-related conversation at all costs. As it was, she need not have worried - Helen too was determined not to discuss work or argue and they spent a very pleasant evening together.
“Nikki, when did you realise you were gay?” Helen asked gently, after they had managed to chat politely for about 10 minutes.
Nikki took a deep breath before she answered. This question was her pet hate - at some point, all straight women asked her this and she was sick of hearing it but, for Helen, she would answer.
“I can’t remember when I didn’t know I was gay. If you really want to pin it down, I remember having a huge crush on an actress when I was about seven and it continued from there. However, I feel like I always knew. I was born gay.”
“So you don’t think people can be straight and suddenly become gay then?”
Nikki was curious - where was all this leading? “I think everybody has the potential to fall for someone of their own sex - whether that makes them gay or not, I don’t know. Why? Do you have someone in mind Helen?”
Helen immediately blushed and became very flustered. Nikki decided Helen’s behaviour had already answered her question and changed the subject to spare Helen's feelings. “God, I’m starving. Do you fancy finding somewhere to eat?”
Helen nodded, only too happy to steer Nikki away from such a sensitive subject.
They found a reasonably small Indian restaurant to eat at and were given a table in a secluded, darkened corner.
“I hope this isn’t a reflection on the quality of the food,” Nikki joked. “Perhaps they don’t want us to see what we’re eating.”
Helen laughed. “I certainly hope not - I love a good curry. I want to leave here totally satisfied.”
Nikki nearly dropped her glass of wine. Did Helen know what she was saying? Nikki stared, her mouth open, but as Helen was deeply engrossed in the menu, Nikki decided to let the comment pass.
One large meal and a bottle of wine later and Helen and Nikki were both feeling very contented. Helen hadn’t finished eating, having decided to sample the delights of the desert menu; she had settled on Pineapple ice cream.
“This is fantastic,” Helen enthused. “You really must try it.”
Nikki shook her head. “No, I really am absolutely stuffed.”
Helen reached over and touched Nikki’s hand. “Go on. Please. For me.”
Nikki swallowed hard as she felt her stomach flip. How could she say no with those beautiful, emerald eyes beseeching her? “Go on then - just a little.”
Helen’s face lit up and Nikki decided it was worth the risk of exploding - just to see that smile.
Helen carefully lifted a spoonful of the ice cream to Nikki’s lips. Nikki opened her mouth and took the spoon in. The angle not being quite right, a small dribble of melted ice cream trickled out of the corner of her mouth. Staring intently at Nikki, Helen gently wiped the ice cream from the corner of Nikki’s mouth with her finger. She desperately wanted to put her finger in Nikki’s mouth and let her lick the ice cream away but not having the courage to make such a move, she settled for licking the ice cream off her finger herself. Nikki sat mesmerized on the other side of the table, scared to open her mouth in case the loud groan of desire she was fighting to suppress, managed to escape.
Nikki and Helen managed to escape the restaurant without further incident and, as the night was still young, decided to pay a visit to the amusement arcades on Brighton Pier. Helen made a beeline for the grabbing machines.
“I really love these. I never win anything but I love having a go. ”
“But Helen, they’re always full of tat.”
“So? Sometimes they have nice tat - look at that green bunny for instance - he’s really cute.”
Nikki looked at Helen in surprise. “You really want a manky green bunny?”
Helen laughed. “Yes, and he’s not ‘manky’ thank you.”
“Whatever you say Helen. Let’s go and get one then.” She grabbed Helen’s hand and led her to the nearest machine that contained the infamous bunnies.
“Damn. Dropped it again,” Helen complained.
Nikki laughed. “It’s the nature of the machines. It’s all a fix really. The claw won’t ‘hold’ until enough money has been fed into the machine. I expect you’ve put enough in now. Let me have a go.”
Helen was about to move aside to allow Nikki access to the machine when Nikki put both arms around Helen to get to the controls. Being tall, she obviously had no trouble seeing over Helen’s shoulder. Helen was glad to leave Nikki to it - she couldn’t concentrate with Nikki being in such close proximity to her. Feeling Nikki’s hot breath on her ear, her heart began to thud so loudly, she half expected Nikki to be able to hear it.
“There you go!” Nikki exclaimed as she successfully managed to hook a rabbit for Helen.
Helen was almost disappointed as it meant moving away from the machine and Nikki’s warm embrace.
“Here you go - one green bunny,” said Nikki as she proudly presented the prize to Helen. “He even matches your eyes!”
“Cheeky!” Helen hit Nikki good naturedly. “Thank you.”
“That’s okay.” Nikki hugged Helen tightly and then drew away from her. Once again, a moment of huge intensity passed and it was all Nikki could do to stop herself from kissing the beautiful woman in front of her but the moment was disturbed by the arrival of a teenage couple who wanted to use the grabbing machine.
“Come on Helen - let’s have a go on the Helter Skelter,” Nikki called excitedly as she ran off in the direction of the fair rides at the end of the pier.
Laughing, Helen followed her.
As they walked back along the beach in the moonlight, Helen couldn’t remember a more perfect evening. Away from the office, she and Nikki had got on like a house on fire and both women felt relaxed and happy. Unfortunately, Nikki seemed to distance herself again, as they arrived back at the hotel. Gone was the earlier good humour and playfulness, only to be replaced by a quiet and sullen faced Nikki.
“I’m going to take a shower before I go to bed,” she suddenly announced.
“Yeah I will as well,” Helen agreed.
Nikki looked shocked, but almost excited with it.
Helen hastily corrected herself. “When you’ve finished of course.”
Nikki felt her defensiveness return. “Well, at least we agree on something, Helen.”
Helen scowled at Nikki’s retreating back as she made her way to the bathroom. She knew Nikki’s bonhomie had been too good to last.
After showering, Nikki retired to bed whilst Helen had her turn in the shower. A short while later, Helen padded out of the bathroom in her silk pyjamas and tried not to look at Nikki who was curled up on one side of the bed, looking like she was already asleep. Helen got into her side, keeping her back to Nikki. Both women lay at the extreme edges of the large bed, anxious not to touch each other.
Just as Helen was feeling warm and drowsy, she felt the bed move as Nikki turned over in her sleep and, before she knew it, Nikki’s arms had wrapped themselves around her waist. Assured that Nikki was still asleep and feeling surprisingly comfortable with the sensation of being “held” by another woman, Helen tried to settle down again, but found that her breathing had increased rapidly and a warm sensation was beginning to grow between her legs. Eventually, her sexually-charged body seemed to block out her tired, rational mind and Helen felt herself turn in the circle of Nikki’s arms until she was facing her.
“Hmmmm,” Nikki sighed contentedly in her sleep as she pulled Helen closer to her. Helen lay awake and stared at Nikki’s sleeping face. This woman was so beautiful, Helen wanted to look at her endlessly. How could it be that Helen Stewart, highly-sexed, successful, emancipated and straight, could find herself prey to feelings of attraction to another woman? Whatever her own personal feelings about this aberration, she could not deny its existence. Here she was lying in bed, facing the most stubborn and obnoxious, but beautiful, woman she knew, in a bed miles away from her fiancé, and all she wanted to do was kiss the lips that lay before her.
Almost as if Helen’s intense gaze had wakened her, Nikki stirred and opened her eyes to find Helen Stewart lying in her arms, staring straight at her, her green eyes thick with emotion. Before she could think about what she was doing, Nikki placed her lips on Helen’s and kissed her. Emanating little groans of relief and desire, Helen soon found herself opening her mouth for Nikki’s tongue to enter.
Nikki rolled on top of Helen and started to kiss down her neck towards her still concealed breasts. Her expert fingers peeled away Helen’s silk pyjama top and, her lips not losing contact with Helen’s skin, she lowered Helen’s pyjama bottoms and lacy knickers. Next came Nikki’s t-shirt, which was pulled unceremoniously over her head and thrown in a heap on the floor. Asserting herself, Helen peeled Nikki’s knickers down. As Nikki lowered herself onto Helen, Helen gasped as she felt skin touching skin over the entire length of their bodies. After kissing Helen passionately, Nikki once again turned her attention to Helen’s breasts and started to lick and suck one nipple whilst rolling the other with her thumb and forefinger. With mounting desire, Helen started to thrust herself against Nikki’s thigh which was sandwiched between her own legs.
Nikki pulled away from Helen and smiled. “Impatient are we, Miss Stewart? Well, you can just hold on a little longer - I’m not finished with you yet.” Helen almost howled with frustration as Nikki once again began to slowly kiss her way down her abdomen, stopping to linger lovingly on her belly button ring. “Well, well, well, I didn’t expect you to have one of these. If only your colleagues could see you now...”
Helen squirmed underneath Nikki, feeling more than a little irritated at both Nikki’s comments and the length of time it was taking Nikki to get to where she wanted her! Feeling another spasm of frustrated desire, Helen pulled Nikki to her, digging her nails deep into the flesh on Nikki’s back as she did so.
“Aaaargh, you little bitch,” complained Nikki huskily, not entirely unaffected by this display of desire on Helen’s part. “We’ll have to get those nails trimmed if you want this to become a regular event.”
Taking pity, Nikki smiled at her companion. “Okay you win,” she said, lowering her head to the inside of Helen’s thighs which she started licking and kissing, gradually moving closer to her target. Helen’s hands gripped the back of Nikki’s head as she felt Nikki’s tongue against her and, as Nikki’s tongue entered her, she knew she was going over the edge and there was nothing anyone could do to stop her. As Helen’s shuddering climax came to a stop, Nikki just held her, whispering into her ear and stroking her hair as Helen’s tears began to fall.
“Hey, it wasn’t that bad was it?” Nikki asked, concerned when she noticed Helen’s tears for the first time.
“No, of course not, it was wonderful. It’s just that... I just didn’t expect it to be so...intense. ”
“Shh, don’t worry, I know.” Nikki comforted her, herself surprised by the power of Helen’s release, both in physical and emotional terms. Nikki had certainly ‘conquered’ more than her fair share of straight women but she had never felt quite so ‘at one’ with another person before - it was as though she and Helen had really connected.
Chapter Six
Despite the intensity of their repeated love-making, the following morning Helen didn’t seem quite so eager to continue their relationship. Just before they left for that morning’s conference proceedings, Nikki tried to kiss Helen but the feisty Scot pulled away.
“What’s the matter, Helen?” Nikki asked with concern.
Helen took a deep breath before answering. “It was a one-off Nikki. It can’t happen again. I’m engaged to be married and I love Sean.”
Nikki felt like she’d been stabbed. “Oh, so it was just heterosexual curiosity was it?” she barked in reply.
Helen knew it went a lot deeper than that but she couldn’t admit it. “Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t. Either way, that was the first and last time it’s going to happen.”
“Fine. Just as you say Helen. After all, you’re the boss.” Nikki slammed the door as she left and Helen was left with an unaccountable feeling of loneliness. She decided to call Sean, thinking that hearing his voice would make her feel better but, if anything, he only made her feel worse. He wasn’t interested in how she was or how the conference was going, he was too busy telling her how he’d been recommended for the Chair in Urology at University College London. If he was successful, that would make him the youngest Professor of Urology in the Country. Helen was suddenly struck with the feeling that she was nothing but a potential “trophy wife,” that he only wanted her to show up at University functions with him, looking stunning, so all the other academics could look at him and say “Oh there’s Sean Parr. He’s the youngest Professor of Urology in the country and just look at his gorgeous wife. She’s a doctor too - a surgeon no less. Brains and beauty, the lucky chap.” It was all so far removed from what she had felt with Nikki the night before. That feeling of being “at one” with another human being, feeling loved and contented, after having the most incredible sex she had ever experienced.
Sean put down the phone after speaking to Helen and began to dictate a letter on his dictaphone: “I reviewed this patient in the Urology Clinic today. He has had a recent TRUS biopsy of his prostate, which revealed prostate cancer in 4 out of the 5 cores at Gleeson grade 3 + 4 and involved up to 60% of most of the cores. Pre-procedure PSA was 24. I had a lengthy discussion with the patient regarding the implications of his histology and also the possible treatment options available…”
Pausing as he heard a noise in the outer office, he called out: “Di?”
A small, thirty-something, brunette peeped her head round the door.
“Would you mind getting me a Coffee while you’re up?”
“Okay Sean. No problem.” She started to walk away but then changed her mind and came back. “Sean…?”
“What is it? I’m trying to work,” he snapped.
“I was just wondering when you’re going to tell Helen about us?”
“Whaat?” Sean exclaimed. “You are joking aren’t you? I’ve told you before, I’m marrying Helen and that’s all there is to be said about it”
“You bastard!”
“Come on Di, I’ve been honest with you right from the start. I told you I would never leave Helen.”
Di’s lower lip began to tremble. “But… I thought…and after last night”
“Oh, I see,” Sean interrupted. “ Like most women, you thought you were going to be the ‘one to change me’ didn’t you? Well, I can tell you right now – you’ll be waiting a long time if you think I’m ever going to leave Helen to marry you. In fact, we’ve just set a date for the wedding.”
The expression on Di’s face changed from tearfulness to venomous in an instant. “We’ll soon see about that.”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you think Helen’s still going to want you after she finds out you’ve been screwing your secretary? I don’t think so Sean. I wonder how I should tell her? Send her a letter maybe? Tell her on the phone? No, I’ll think I’ll pay her a visit. These things are always better when you face the competition head on. I’ve got some photos I’m sure she’d be very interested to see.”
Sean sat up in his chair, his face panic-stricken. “You can’t…”
“Oh, can’t I? Just watch me.”
For the rest of the day Helen moped around the conference, sitting in on all the presentations, but hearing very little of what was being said. She just couldn’t get Nikki out of her mind. At the end of yet another tedious session, Helen moved amongst the crowds in the reception area barely noticing what was going on around her and, as such, failed to notice a pair or green eyes watching her intently from the other side of the room. Her attention was suddenly brought to the fore when she felt a body cannon into her at full speed.
“Helen!”
Helen braced herself as a petite red-head threw herself at her. “Kerry!” Helen exclaimed, as she returned the hug, careful not to knock the red-head’s crutch away. “What a surprise. What are you doing in England?”
“I wouldn’t miss this conference for the world. Some of our best speakers are presenting and, besides, it gave me the opportunity to spend time alone with my lover” she replied, blushing softly.
Helen nudged Kerry’s arm gently. “Does this mean you and Dr Legs have finally sorted out your differences?”
Kerry nodded gently, a coy smile playing around her lips.
Helen hugged her again. “That’s wonderful - I’m really happy for you both. You deserve to be happy.”
“Thank you Helen. It’s the support of people like you that helped me through this transition. Anyway, enough about my sordid love life. How about you? Are you here with that wonderful fiancé you were telling me so much about?”
Helen’s face darkened. “No. Sean’s far too big headed these days to put in an appearance anywhere but at the most elite urology conferences.”
Kerry cocked her eyebrow. “Hmmm - do I smell trouble in paradise?”
“Just a bit,” Helen replied, as she thought about the previous night’s events. “ Look, can I talk to you in confidence about something? You’re probably the only person I know who could understand how I feel at this precise moment.”
“Yeah, sure - let me just tell Kim where we’re going and then we can head off to the bar together.”
As she waited for Kerry, Helen looked around the conference hall at the assembled crowd and couldn’t help but notice Nikki standing in close proximity to an extremely tall and shapely young woman who was wearing a very short, pin-striped skirt that did little to hide her fantastic legs. Helen was seized with a burst of jealousy. It was all she could do not to go up to the vision in heels and tell her to ‘back off from her woman’ but, eventually, common sense prevailed. It was not as if she had any right to complain. After all, she was the one who had told Nikki that last night could be nothing more than a one-night stand. Besides, Helen had seen her flirting with several other beautiful and successful young women at the Conference and, although she had felt consumed with jealousy, she hadn’t been able to show it - not in front of all their distinguished colleagues. The strain of keeping it all in was nearly killing her!
Kerry reappeared at that moment, saving Helen from her own pent up emotions, and took her away from the nightmare scene. “Kim’s just going to this next session and then she’ll join us for a drink in the bar - she can’t wait to see you again Helen. She knows how much help you were to me when you were with us in Chicago.”
Helen smiled. “It will be great to see her again too. In fact, the pair of you might be able to help me with my current dilemma.”
“What, you mean the situation with Sean?”
“Sort of.”
Kerry laughed. “Kim’s a great psychiatrist but I’m not sure how much she can tell you about the arrogant male mind.”
Helen laughed as well. “Actually it’s not the arrogant male mind I need help with, it’s the stubborn, lesbian mind.”
Kerry’s face registered surprise. “Can I ask, is this a work-related enquiry or a personal one?”
“Both.”
“Helen!” Kerry exclaimed excitedly. “Just what have you been getting up to since you left Chicago? Wait - let me guess. Was it the beautiful woman with short, dark hair or the leggy, long-haired nympho she was making eyes at? ”
Helen looked astounded. “Do you ever miss a thing Kerry?”
“Well it had to be one of the two - the way you were glowering at them with your hackles showing when I came to collect you before.”
Helen sighed, tears beginning to cloud her eyes. “The dark-haired one. Nikki. Nikki Wade. She’s my new Departmental Manager at St Jeremiah’s.”
Kerry nodded knowingly and reached out her hand to touch Helen’s. “So how long have you been involved?”
Helen laughed. “It depends how you define ‘involved’. If you mean physically, then only since last night, if you mean emotionally, mentally, psychosexually - the whole caboodle - then since the day I first laid eyes on her.”
“Wow, you really sound like you’ve got it bad. I’ve been exactly where you are now Helen, so if I can do anything at all to help, just say the word.”
“Thank you Kerry. I really appreciate this.”
“Hey what are friends for?” Kerry replied, patting Helen’s hand reassuringly.
Just at that moment, Dr Kim Legaspi, tall, blonde and beautiful, approached their table, a mischievous smile playing round her lips. Putting her arms round Kerry from behind and kissing her on the cheek she said: “What’s going on here then? Do I have to write my name on my woman to stop people from touching her?”
At this point, Helen just burst into tears.
“Hey, I didn’t mean it Helen - I was only joking,” Kim babbled, trying to get Helen to smile again. Huh, good one Legaspi she thought. Some psychiatrist you are.
Kerry grinned up at her lover. “Helen needs our help. She’s got trouble - woman trouble.”
Kim’s eyebrows arched in surprise. She’d never have expected it of Helen but then again she’d slept with several supposedly straight women herself. She could only assume that Helen, like Kerry, was just another late starter.
Several large drinks and lots of sympathetic advice later, Helen decided it was probably time to return to the hotel room to get ready for the dinner that was due to take place that night. Just before she took her leave, Kerry came up with an idea.
“Look, I know somebody on the organising committee for tonight’s dinner. Do you want me to try and get the seating plan changed so that you and Nikki are sitting with Kim and I?”
“That would be nice,” Helen replied. “But I don’t want to put the two of you in an uncomfortable situation if she won’t talk to me. Besides, if she’s still chatting up women left, right and centre, it could be rather embarrassing for all of us.”
Kerry patted Helen’s hand sympathetically. “Hey, don’t worry about it. Between us, we’ll keep her under control and if she starts to misbehave, I’ll get Kimmie to turn psychiatrist on her.”
Kim placed her finger under her chin and tried to look as scholarly and professional as possible.
Helen laughed. “Okay, you win. Change the seating plan. I’ll see you later - with or without her nibs.”
Helen was sitting at the dressing table in her dressing gown, attempting to put her make-up on, when Nikki returned to the hotel room. Nikki still wasn’t speaking and passed her like an angry shadow, taking herself and her new tuxedo, into the Olympic-sized bathroom to get ready in there.
About 40 minutes later, Helen had donned her new, white, off-the-shoulder, silk dress and Joan Collins style gloves. Her hair was swept up onto the top of her head and she was wearing her best diamond jewellery that Sean had bought her on their last anniversary. She felt like Audrey Hepburn in “My Fair Lady” about to attend the Royal Ball - well the dinner invitations had said very formal. Now all she needed was a “Prince” to take her to the ball. As she sat with these faintly childish daydreams echoing around her head, she heard Nikki unlock the bathroom door. As Nikki stepped into the bedroom, Helen’s head reeled at the sight of her in a crisp white shirt and black tuxedo; she looked absolutely stunning in the exquisitely tailored suit.
“My God,” Helen said as she stood up and faced Nikki. “Just how do you manage to look both devilishly handsome and stunningly beautiful at the same time?”
Nikki couldn’t answer as she was stunned into silence by the site of Helen in her white evening dress. Nikki felt a lump forming in her throat - she could almost cry Helen was so beautiful.
“What’s the matter?” Helen asked, walking over to Nikki, well aware of the effect she was having. “Cat got your tongue?” Before Helen had a chance to say anything more, Nikki grabbed Helen’s shoulders and pulled her to her. “God, you’re so beautiful Helen,” Nikki said in a voice trembling with emotion. She pressed her lips against Helen’s forehead and squeezed her tightly in her arms. Helen, breathing rapidly, lifted her chin so that she could look up into Nikki’s dark eyes. She gently stroked Nikki’s cheek and finally pulled Nikki’s chin down so that their lips met. Helen took charge this time. She knew she had hurt Nikki earlier and she had to prove that her feelings were genuine. Her lips continued to gently caress Nikki’s until she felt Nikki open her mouth.
They were interrupted by the sound of somebody knocking on the door.
“Who’s that?” Whispered Helen impatiently.
“Probably my date,” muttered Nikki. “I told her to meet me here at 7.”
“What?” Demanded Helen as Nikki laughed into her neck.
“Sssh, Helen. If you keep quiet, she’ll go away.”
Helen slapped Nikki’s back playfully. “I hope you don’t treat all your dates in that shameful manner.”
“Not when they make me feel like you do,” smiled Nikki as she bent to kiss Helen’s lips again.
And whether anybody else knocked on their door, neither heard as they were too far away delighting in each other’s touch.