"Jamie?" the young man asks with confusion as he answers his front
door. "What are you doing here this early?"
"I'm here," I tell the expectant young man, "Because I love you...
Stuart." Stuart closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.
"You love me... But?" Stuart asks, making me smile and roll my eyes at
the handsome transman's paranoia.
"No buts," I say. "Plenty of ANDs, though. I love you AND I want to be
with you. I love you AND I'm IN love with you. I love you... AND I love
you more than anyone else."
"'Anyone' else?" Stuart asks, making me giggle and roll my eyes again.
"EVERYONE else," I say, leaning in and kissing Stuart- the last man
I'll ever kiss. My whole body feels as though it's about to melt as
Stuart places his hands on my slim waist, gently pulling me closer
into him.
"I love you too, Jamie," Stuart whispers, clearly fighting back tears.
"Can- can you trust me again?" I ask. "I promise, I'll never even LOOK
at Keith, or any other man, I-"
"Yes, I can trust you," Stuart laughs. "I'm sorry I'm so paranoid all
the time. I LOVE you. If you say you love me more than everyone else...
I believe you."
"I still don't like being interrupted," I say, making Stuart giggle
with embarrassment.
"Sorry, sorry," Stuart laughs.
"I was going to say, before I was so rudely interrupted," I continue,
"I want you to be the LAST man I ever kiss, or make love with."
"Jamie..." Stuart asks. "Are you proposing? Because we're kinda only
just getting back on our feet..."
"Nothing like that," I say. "Not YET, anyway!" Stuart laughs and gives
me a big hug.
"It's kinda cold," Stuart laughs. "Come on in..." I smile a wide,
contented grin as I follow Stuart into his house and up to his
bedroom, where we sit together on his bed, intimately cuddling each
other.
"Your nail polish is kinda chipped," Stuart jokes, making me laugh as
I inspect the 'damage'. "Nine years ago I'd have offered to help you
repair them..."
"Nine years ago I wouldn't have been here," I sigh. "Nine years ago I
was a fourteen year old boy who'd have run a mile if you put nail
polish anywhere near him."
"Denial," Stuart sighs. "Yeah, I remember that stage..." I take a deep
breath, remembering that Stuart doesn't know the 'real' circumstances
that started my change- nor will he ever do so.
"Besides," I giggle, "I'm glad you don't have any nail polish to hand.
I only like REAL men!" Stuart laughs happily as he gives me another
long, happy kiss.
"What's in the bag?" Stuart asks, spotting my carrier bag. I blush
slightly as I open it, showing him the watch, necklace and DVD.
"Ah, yes," Stuart says. "Let me guess- the other gifts were from
Keith?"
"The watch was from Keith, the DVD was from Paul," I explain. "And no,
the DVD isn't a 'sex tape'."
"I never said it was," Stuart says with mock-innocence as he scoops
'his' necklace out of the bag and gently fastens it around my neck.
"Did you like the song?"
"I LOVED the song," I say, playing with the memory stick pendant.
"Kinda wish you could play it for me in person..." Stuart smiles,
quickly hopping off his bed and picking up his guitar. Within seconds,
he's tuned up and has launched into a quiet, intimate rendition of his
song, reducing me to near-tears by the end of it.
"Right now," Stuart says, giving me a soft hug, "my heart is shining
brighter than a billion suns."
"I love you so much," I whisper.
"I love you forever," Stuart whispers, giving me a long, lingering
kiss that seems to last forever, and yet I don't want to ever end.
We spend the next couple of hours in Stuart's bedroom, kissing,
laughing, talking and singing (Stuart even tries to give me a basic
guitar lesson). We'd have stayed there all day, but we're interrupted
just before lunchtime by a knock on Stuart's bedroom door.
"Stu?" Becca's familiar voice calls. "Stu, remember we're going out
for lunch today, dad's going to throw a fit if you're not ready..."
Becca opens the door, only for her eyes to go wide as she sees me sat
next to her brother on his bed.
"Jamie!?" Becca asks confusedly. "Um, what are you doing here?"
"What," Stuart laughs, "I'm not allowed to have my girlfriend in my
bedroom anymore?" Becca's eyes go wide as she realises precisely what
Stuart said.
"Your gir- Jamie?" Becca stammers.
"Hi Becca!" I say to the grinning teenager, before standing up and
giving the girl a long hug.
"Thank GOD!" Becca laughs, returning my hug. "Though you still need to
get ready for lunch. You too, 'sis'!" I giggle as Becca teases me- I
know how close she is to Stuart, so her approval of our relationship
restarting means a lot.
"Umm, do you have any nail polish?" I ask, showing the giggling girl
my ugly nails. Becca simply giggles harder and nods, grabbing my hand
and dragging me back to her room, where her own boyfriend is laid back
on her bed.
"Riley, out," she orders the nineteen year old boy, who meekly
complies. "Sorry about the mess..."
"No, I like it," I say, looking around. "Your room's cool!" I'm not
just being nice to Becca- I do like her room, even if there are a LOT
of photographs of herself on the wall.
"Aww, thanks!" Becca giggles, reaching into her dresser and sorting
through dozens of bottles of nail polish. "High praise coming from an
Angel!"
"Oh please, YOU'RE an Angel in all but name anyway," I say as I sit
down opposite Becca, holding out my fingers and letting her get to
work.
"Hehe," Becca giggles. "Well, maybe when I get this damned band
together that Joshua's been promising me and Addie for months... Kinda
galling that Nikki and Sarah got their 'Angel group' before I did,
heh."
"They're not really an 'Angel Group'," I say, "not yet anyway, and
besides, you've been signed to Joshua much longer than they have!"
"Yeah, I guess," Becca giggles. "Jamie... Why did you pick Stuart? I
mean, I know, he's my brother, I should root for him, and I could do
WITHOUT hearing the more 'gory details' of your love life-"
"No one understands me like him," I say with a happy, contented voice.
"And no one understands him like me..."
"Now hang on, I HAVE known him for twenty years..." Becca mock-
complains, making us both giggle.
"You know what I mean," I chuckle as Becca begins drying my
fingernails. "What we share... It's intimate- I'm not going to use the
word 'unique' but it's special, something I can't find anywhere else.
And despite his constant claims that he IS a macho idiot... He's so
sensitive. He's not like any other man I know- he's so much BETTER."
"If you say so," Becca says. "To me, he'll always be a big idiot,
albeit a big idiot with a big heart."
"And I for one wouldn't have him any other way," I giggle, examining
my perfectly-repaired nails.
"He was really broken up when he found out about you and Keith," Becca
says coldly, trying (but failing) not to sound too accusatory. "I'd
never seen him so devastated, even when you DON'T include the bust lip
Keith gave him."
"I'll never hurt him again, I promise," I say as we head back to
Stuart's bedroom, where the sexy man has changed into a smart shirt
and tie. I greet my boyfriend with a long kiss and link fingers with
him as we walk downstairs, but Becca's words linger in the back of my
mind- I DID hurt Stuart, and that's something I can't undo... Nor are
the feelings I still have for the man I cheated on Stuart with. As
much as I wish I didn't, I do still love Keith... I just now know for
certain that I love Stuart most of all.
I try to put all thoughts of Keith out of mind as I approach Stuart's
parents, who are clearly surprised to see me walking hand-in-hand with
their son.
"Mum, dad, I believe you know Jamie, my girlfriend?" Stuart says
smugly, making me blush with embarrassment.
"If you're sure," Stuart's dad says to his son whilst giving me a
cautious handshake. "Guess I'll have to call the restaurant and ask to
change our reservation to a table for eight..."
"Oh, please don't go to any bother on my behalf," I say, feeling
slightly embarrassed (not to mention overly casually dressed) by the
attention I'm drawing from the rest of the room.
"Nonsense," Mr Milton says. "You're my son's girlfriend, that means
you're coming with us to lunch!"
"It's kinda-of a Milton family tradition, every Boxing Day we always
go to the same restaurant for lunch," Stuart explains.
"And as you may have gathered from the last time you went out with
Stuart," Emma- Stuart's older sister- says smugly, "this family is
nothing if not fond of tradition!"
"Except we'll have to replace our 'traditional' bottle of wine for
something non-alcoholic this year!" Stuart's mother teases Emma,
patting her belly.
"Oh- come on," Emma pleads, "one glass of wine isn't going to kill the
baby..."
"You are not doing a single thing that might risk my first
grandchild!" Mrs Milton says firmly in a voice that not only makes
Emma wince, but makes Stuart grip my hand harder too.
"Here I was thinking your dad was the stern one," I whisper to Stuart,
making the sexy transman laugh before a glare from his mother shuts
him up. I breathe a small sigh of relief at no longer being the centre
of attention- the last thing I need over lunch is accusatory stares
being fired at me from all corners.
After Mrs Milton teases Emma some more, we head out to the driveway,
where Stuart, Becca, Riley and I get in Stuart's car.
"Seriously, DO get a room," Becca laughs as Stuart gives me a quick
kiss before we depart. "It really is so cool that you two are back
together. First Viks reconciles with her parents, now you two are back
together, all we need now is Charlotte and Keith getting back together
and we'll have had the most perfect, magical Christmas!" I bristle
slightly at the mention of my BFF and the man who I very nearly chose
ahead of Becca's brother.
"I think they're going to need a bit more time," I say sadly.
"How did you find out about Viks, anyway?" Stuart asks.
"Addie told me on Facebook last night," Becca says. "Jon and Viks went
to Joshua's for Christmas morning, then he drove them to her parents
in the evening and insisted on sorting everything out... You know how he
is, always insisting on fixing things for his 'extended family', even
on Christmas night!"
"Yeah," I laugh.
"I'll remind you that you said that next time you complain about not
having a girl band yet," Stuart jokes, making Becca groan with
frustration as the rest of the car laughs.
Much to my relief, the lunch goes smoothly. I'm well-acquainted enough
with the Milton family that I can avoid all the traditional 'new
girlfriend' questions. I'm not even that underdressed in my sweater
dress and boots, despite the rest of the family wearing smart
clothing- it turns out the restaurant isn't THAT highbrow, it's just
that Stuart's family all like dressing smartly for dinner. After an
afternoon of hearty food, talking and laughter (I even manage to make
Stuart's dad chuckle at one point), Stuart drives us home, stopping
off first at Riley's house to drop him off along with Becca. As we
prepare to pull away, however, we spot a familiar tall figure stepping
out of Riley's house- that of his older sister Krystie, hand-in-hand
with her new boyfriend Mikey.
"Hi you two!" Stuart says happily, drawing the couple's attention.
"Oh, hi Stu!" Krystie says, before her eyes widen as she sees me sat
in Stuart's passenger seat. "...Jamie? What are YOU doing in Stuart's
car? Unless..." I giggle happily as I pull Stuart back into his car and
give him a long, deep kiss.
"Oh, yay!" Krystie cheers. "This is so cool, you two are so perfect
together!
"We are," Stuart says, making me giggle happily. "You two off out on a
date, what with no girls' night tonight?"
"If by 'date' you mean 'pizza, Netflix and sex', then yes," Mikey
says, making his girlfriend give him a playful whack in the arm.
"...So obviously we're not going to offer a double date," Krystie
laughs. "Though we are going to HAVE to in the future!"
"Too right!" I say excitedly.
"How many people have you told?" Krystie asks.
"...Actually, you're the first person to find out who isn't a member of
the Milton family," I say embarrassedly. "Haven't even told my parents
yet. Or Charlotte..."
"Well get on it!" Krystie urges. "Besides, we need to get going. Our
'pizza's getting cold."
"So's our Netflix," Mikey quips, making everyone laugh.
"And the 'other thing'?" I ask.
"I'll leave that to your imagination," Krystie giggles as Stuart and I
drive off into the cold December night.
We arrive home at Charlotte's house shortly afterwards, where I make a
big show of opening the front door. Thankfully, Charlotte's
'condition' means she's not as nimble on her feet as she used to be,
meaning I'm able to hide Stuart in the cloakroom before she strides
out of the living room, her arms crossed and a frown on her face.
"And where the HELL have you been all day?" Charlotte asks, tapping
her stockinged foot on the marble-like floor of the entrance hall.
"Oh, just out with my BOYFRIEND all day," I say smugly, wincing a
little as Charlotte's face falls- for all she knows, it might have
been Keith I was hanging out with...
"...That's your cue, idiot..." I sigh, smiling as Charlotte's face turns
into an expression of pure joy as she sees Stuart step out of the
cloakroom.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Charlotte cheers, giving my boyfriend a quick hug. "I
knew it! I knew you two were meant to be together! You're so perfect
and awesome!"
"Thanks," Stuart says, awkwardly returning Charlotte's hug. "Jamie's
pretty perfect and awesome too..." I give Stuart a soft, playful punch
before wrapping my arms around his firm, sexy torso. "By which I of
course mean she's pretty, she's perfect and she's most definitely
awesome!"
"Better," I giggle. "You awesome, perfect, macho, sexy studmuffin!"
Stuart giggles as Charlotte continues excitedly bouncing up and down.
"This is so cool," Charlotte gushes. "Have you told the other boys
yet?"
"'Other boys'?" Stuart asks, clearly trying to restrain his paranoia.
"Paul and Keith, right?"
"The 'runners-up', yes," I say. "And no I haven't, not yet... I wanted
to get 'reacquainted' with you first." Stuart smiles a sad-looking
smile and gives me a soft kiss on my forehead.
"Thank you," Stuart says.
"For what?" I ask.
"For picking me," Stuart says. "I- I know it must have been a hard
choice..."
"I made the RIGHT choice," I say. "That's all that matters."
After a quick late dinner, Stuart and I head straight to my room,
where we waste no time in freeing each other of our clothes. The
second our bodies are both naked, we collapse onto my bed, locked in a
passionate embrace. Stu's fingers soon find their way to my erect
nipples, teasing them with their warmth, before heading down to my
crotch and gently stroking my clitoris, just enough to send sharp
bolts of ecstasy through my body. As the orgasm builds inside me, I
take hold of Stuart's clitoris between two fingers and gently
'twiddle' it, smirking as I feel his entire body shiver and squirm.
Mere seconds later, we simultaneously orgasm, Stuart panting heavily
in my ear as I unashamedly yell his name- and only his name- at the
top of my voice.
"Oh god," Stuart pants heavily as he rolls off of me. "I love you so
much..."
"I love you too," I whisper, snuggling close to Stuart's flat,
masculine chest and idly playing with the wispy hair covering it. My
mind, however, is still on the two boys I rejected, and how they'll
take the fact that they'll need to move on...
I wake up the following morning still clung to Stuart's warm, firm
body, and I smile as I listen to his gentle, rhythmic snoring.
"Stop snoring!" I whisper into his ear, gently rousing him from his
slumber.
"I don't snore," Stuart mumbles as he slowly opens his eyes. "Mmm... It
wasn't a dream, then?"
"Nope," I say with a wide grin on my face. "Me and you, this is
reality now."
"Good," Stuart says, giving me a long, slow kiss. "What do you want to
do today?"
"Ugh," I sigh. "What I WANT to do and what I NEED to do are very
different things..." Stuart sighs as he immediately figures out what I'm
referring to.
"You need to see Paul and Keith," Stuart says, and I sadly nod in
response. "It's okay, I honestly do get it..."
"Keith bought me a really expensive watch for Christmas," I explain.
"I'd just feel wrong keeping it..."
"I know, I saw," Stuart says nervously. "...And Paul?"
"He got me memories," I say, chuckling slightly. "Kinda like your
memory stick, only without an amazing song. AND the memories weren't
nearly as good as yours!"
"I get giving the watch back," Stuart says. "Seems a bit harsh to
throw Paul's memories back at him."
"Says the man who gave Paul a black eyes!" I joke, making Stuart
chuckle embarrassedly. "Besides... I should tell him to his face that he
isn't 'the one'. You know, kinda symbolically..."
"I get it, I get it," Stuart says quietly, giving me a soft kiss on my
temple. "I might get that as a tattoo, 'I Am The One', heh. You know
Krystie and Mikey are already talking about getting matching tattoos
even though they've only been dating a couple of months?"
"Well you're not putting that tattoo gun anywhere near MY body!" I
giggle as I wriggle free of Stuart's grip, only to giggle and shriek
as he grabs me again. When he starts waggling his fingers in front of
my face, however, I begin to panic.
"No," I say firmly. "No, no tickling, no, no..."
"Oh relax," Stuart laughs. "As if I would... Last time I even TRIED you
nearly gave ME a black eye!" I giggle and breathe a sigh of relief as
I lay on my back on my side of the bed.
"Ah yes, I know what's coming now," Stuart says with a smile, reaching
into my drawer and handing me my thick orange dilator and my lubricant
gel. "Would I get in a lot of trouble if I held this in front of my
crotch?"
"YES," I say, before descending into a fit of giggles as Stuart
watches me dilate. "Are- are you still booked in for October?"
"Booked in, also on the cancellations list so I might even get in
earlier," Stuart says with a smile. "This time eighteen months from
now... We'll both be post-op, we'll both still be in our mid-twenties,
got our whole lives ahead of us..."
"Are YOU proposing now?" I tease.
"Would you say yes if I was?" Stuart says, before grimacing at his
question. "Umm, never mind, technically this IS a new relationship, a
bit early to be thinking about things like that!"
"I just want to enjoy being boyfriend and girlfriend," I say as I
relax with the dilator inside me.
"I can handle enjoying being the rich, sexy and famous Jamie-Lee
Burke's boyfriend," Stuart laughs, giving me a kiss before hopping off
the bed and jumping in the shower. Once I've finished dilating, I
strip naked and head into the bathroom, intercepting Stuart as he
leaves the cubicle and pushing him back under the hot, running water.
Smiling wickedly, I sink to my knees and suckle Stuart's clitoris
between my lips, feeling him shiver and thrust his small length into
my mouth as I increase my 'suction'. After Stuart orgasms, much to my
surprise, HE then sinks to his knees and sticks out his tongue,
lapping at my labia and quickly finding my clitoris, which he
stimulates to my second orgasm in under twelve hours.
As we dry ourselves off, however, Stuart looks unhappy, despite the
orgasm we just shared.
"What's up?" I ask, wrapping my arms around Stuart's naked torso and
kissing the back of his neck.
"Oh it- it's stupid..." Stuart sighs.
"No, tell me, please," I say. "Whatever it is, I won't get mad."
"It's just-" Stuart says hesitantly. "Ugh, it's two things. The first
is- when I am post-op- you know I won't be, um, 'functional', right?
You'll have no way of telling when I'm 'done'..."
"Yes, I've read all about it," I say warmly. "I've also read about the
'aids' we can use and how they really aren't that much more intrusive
than a normal contraceptive..."
"And- oh god, this is silly..." Stuart moans.
"TELL ME," I chuckle.
"Sex in the shower..." Stuart says VERY cautiously. "...You told me that
used to be a 'you and Paul' thing." I sigh sadly and cuddle Stuart
tighter as he attempts to pull his shorts and his trousers on over his
hairy legs.
"Well there's nothing stopping it from being OUR thing," I giggle.
"And you can't tell me you didn't enjoy it..."
"I know, I know, it's my brain that needs adjusting," Stuart sighs.
"And yes, I DID enjoy it. A LOT." I giggle happily as I let the sexy
man button up his shirt whilst I apply a light layer of make-up and
dress in a comfortable bra and thong set, a pair of opaque black
tights, a loose knee-length skirt and a tight grey jumper. I grab my
hairbrush and start to brush out my long hair when I grin as Stuart
takes his turn to embrace me from behind.
"Mmm," Stuart happily moans in my ear, making me smile uncontrollably.
"Do you HAVE to go out today?"
"Got to get it over with at some point," I sigh. "Obviously I'm not
going to ask you to come along if you don't want to."
"I kinda do but I kinda don't," Stuart sighs. "Yes, I want to spend
time with you- especially as you've got your girls night tonight- but...
I kinda want to tell Keith myself, you know? And me and Paul being in
the same room..."
"Yeah, not a good idea," I giggle, grabbing my handbag and slipping my
feet into a pair of flats. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"I'll be here," Stuart says, giving me a long, slow kiss. "Though
obviously NOT during tonight's oestrogen festival!"
"Girl rays..." I tease, grabbing a handful of Stuart's left buttock as
we leave the house, kissing one more time before we get into our
separate cars. I stare down at my handbag, which contains Keith's
watch and Paul's DVD- neither boy will take the rejection well, but I
DO need to reject them, if only so I'm not 'keeping them hanging' any
more. Keith's house is closest to Charlotte's, so I start with him,
though as I ring his doorbell, my whole body is shaking with nerves.
"Oh, hi Jamie," Keith's dad says as he opens the front door. "Keith's
upstairs in his room, I'll call him down."
"No, it's okay," I say. "I'll go up to him." The older man nods and
lets me cautiously climb the stairs. I gently knock on Keith's bedroom
door and let myself in.
"Hi Jamie!" Keith says, delight and surprise etched on his face. "What
are you doing here?"
"I'm here to thank you for my present," I say, wincing as Keith's
smile grows wider. "...And to say that I can't keep it. I'm sorry,
Keith- I- I've got back together with Stuart." As Keith's face falls,
my heart wrenches as my feelings for the tall man threaten to take
control of my body.
"Jamie," Keith whispers, placing his hands on my slender shoulders.
"No," I say quietly, but firmly, as I push Keith's hands away from me.
"I love you, Jamie," Keith says. "You can't tell me that you'd be
happier with Stuart?"
"Believe me, I've thought about it long and hard," I say.
"'Long and hard' is precisely what Stuart ISN'T," Keith argues, making
me frown. "He can't give you what I can..."
"Some things are more important than sex," I say. "What's in his heart
is more important than what's in his pants. Stuart and I... we're soul
mates. I'm sorry, Keith."
"Do you really, truly believe that?" Keith asks me, and for a brief
second, I pause. When Keith and I had sex... It was a feeling completely
unlike anything I'd ever experienced before. But I HAVE experienced it
since- with Paul- and whilst it was no less enjoyable with him, all it
proved was that there was a very definite difference between 'having
sex' and 'making love', and if I had to choose between sex and Stuart...
It's no choice at all.
"Yes, I really, truly believe it," I say confidently. Much to my
relief, Keith simply smiles a sad smile and nods his head.
"Then I hope you two will be very happy together," Keith says
stoically.
"You WILL find someone, Keith," I say softly as I leave the clearly
upset man alone with his thoughts. "You take care, okay?"
"You too, Jamie," Keith says. "And if Stu ever does ANYTHING to hurt
you..."
"I'll send him round for a fat lip," I giggle. "Goodbye, Keith."
"Goodbye, Jamie," Keith says as I shut his bedroom door and take a
deep breath to clear my thoughts. Ever since I first met Keith, all
those years ago, even before I'd 'officially become Jamie-Lee' I'd
loved him in a way I'd never loved anyone before. Being with him had
been my dream, my fantasy, and yet... When it became reality for those
brief minutes, all I felt was empty. Whether it's because I knew that
all Keith saw when he fucked me was Charlotte, or because even back
then, I knew I loved Stuart more, I can't say. All I know is that the
old saying is true: be careful what you wish for- you may get it.
I take a deep breath as I get back in my car and drive the short
distance to Paul's house- though as it's a Saturday and the first day
of the sales, it still takes long enough that I have plenty of time to
compose my thoughts before I knock on his front door.
"Jamie!" Paul says with a wide grin as he opens the door to his flat.
"I'd kinda hoped you'd drop round, please come in!"
"I'd better not," I say quietly. "I just- I just came to say..." I roll
my eyes as my carefully-prepared speech abandons me and I find myself
tongue-tied.
"It's okay," Paul says. "Did you like my DVD?"
"I did," I say, holding out the disc. "But I can't accept it." Paul's
smile falls as he takes the disc.
"Did you get together with Keith, then?" Paul sighs as he puts his
disc in his pocket.
"No," I say stoically. "I got back together with Stuart."
"Stuart!?" Paul laughs. "What, after sleeping with me, you suddenly
decided that you were a lesbian?"
"No, I'm straight," I angrily spit. "I LOVE Stuart. I want to be with
HIM."
"He's not a REAL man," Paul snorts, making me bite my lip through
sheer anger.
"Are you also saying that I'm not a REAL woman?" I growl.
"Well, no, you have a vagina," Paul says. "The point is: so does
quote-unquote he."
"I didn't have a vagina for the sixteen months that we were dating," I
say. "Does that make you suddenly gay?"
"Well, um, no," Paul says, visibly backpedalling. "But you had
breasts, you were taking hormones..."
"Stuart's taking hormones," I say angrily. "He DOESN'T have breasts,
or any internal lady parts."
"He's small," Paul argues feebly.
"He still smacked you down, didn't he?" I chuckle. "Seems to me that
he's much more of a 'real man' than you'll ever be. Enjoy the rest of
your life, Paul." Without saying another word, I spin on my heel and
walk away from the frustrated young man who, for a very brief time, I
DID love, but who successfully disproved the old saying that 'absence
makes the heart grow fonder'.
As I drive home to Charlotte's, I feel refreshed, renewed like for the
first time in a very long while, my mind is clear and the road ahead
of me is straight and free of any uncertainties. As I step through the
front door, the familiar, wonderful sound of baby laughter tells me
immediately that my goddaughter is present along with one or both of
her parents.
"Hi Mary, Hi Dan!" I happily greet the husband and wife, before
kneeling down in front of the giggling infant on Mary's knee. "Hey,
cutie!" I can't help but let out a goofy giggle as Kristina-Leigh
laughs louder at me.
"God, our entire house is filled with baby toys now!" Mary laughs as I
sit down next to Charlotte. "Still, six months from now the same can
be said of this place!"
"Twelve years from now, your entire house is going to be filled with
cosmetics and posters of boys!" I tease, making Dan groan and shake
his head.
"No it isn't," the proud father chuckles. "This little one's staying
little forever."
"You wish," I laugh. "Have you heard anything from Jon and Viks?"
"Think they're still at her parents," Mary says.
"I'm going out with Jon and the guys tonight," Dan says. "Kind of a
preliminary stag night, so I reckon you'll see Viks. Speaking of 'the
guys'..." I smile and roll my eyes as Dan looks in my direction. "I had
an interesting Facebook message from Keith a little while back,
telling me that you, Miss Burke, have a new boyfriend- or should I say
an 'old' boyfriend?"
"Oh my god, Jamie!" Mary squeaks. "Are- are you and Stuart back
together?"
"I am..." I tease. "...Going to kill Keith for blabbing, though in
fairness, I guess I DIDN'T ask him to keep it to himself..." Mary cheers
happily, handing Kristina-Leigh to Dan before giving me a huge hug.
"This is so cool!" Mary enthuses. "You two are SO great together!"
"Everyone keeps saying that!" I laugh, returning Mary's hug.
"Well it's true!" Charlotte giggles.
"Who else have you told?" Mary asks.
"Just the people in this room," I say. "Stuart's family knows, Krystie
and Mikey found out last night..."
"Oh, that girl is in SO much trouble for not telling me!" Mary laughs,
sitting back down and taking her daughter back from her husband- who
is clearly reluctant to give her up. "As are you!" Dan simply laughs
and rolls his eyes as his wife chastises him.
"I'll make it public after I tell my parents tomorrow, I promise!" I
giggle.
"You'd better," Mary says, making the whole room- even Dan and
Kristina-Leigh- giggle.
Within an hour, Dan has departed for his boys' night, leaving his
daughter alone with myself, Mary and Charlotte- though we're not alone
for long, as Krystie arrives less than forty-five minutes later and
immediately starts fussing over her goddaughter (after accepting her
'telling off' from Mary), followed by Hannah, Adeola, Becca, Nikki,
Sarah and finally Viks, who receives hugs from every other girl
(including Kristina-Leigh) and demands to see her engagement ring-
demand that Viks is all too happy to acquiesce to!
"I still can't believe it," Hannah sighs as she leans against her BFF.
"Little VIks, engaged to be married to the man of her dreams..."
"YOU can't believe it?" Viks giggles. "I expected you to have been
married at LEAST three times before I even got engaged once!" The
whole room laughs as Hannah gives Viks a playful whack with a cushion,
before giggling and cuddling her again.
"And talking of relationship upgrades..." Becca teases, looking in my
direction. "Might I have a new sister-in-law in a few years' time? And
No, I don't mean either of Riley's sisters, cool as they are!" Krystie
acknowledges Becca's compliment, before looking expectantly in my
direction.
"Yes, Miss Burke, do tell..." Krystie giggles. I sigh happily and a wide
grin creeps onto my face, much to the delight of the assembled women.
"Yes, Stuart and I are back together," I say, prompting cheers and
hugs from everyone present. "Gonna be a while before I get one of
those, though!" I point at Viks's beautiful engagement ring, making
the curvy bride-to-be blush with embarrassment.
"Growing up," Nikki muses, "you must have thought at times that there
was no chance you'd EVER get one of them... God knows I had those
thoughts..."
"Yeah," I sigh happily as my prot?g? receives a tender cuddle from her
girlfriend. In truth, even before I became Jamie-Lee, I'd never had
ANY thoughts of ever getting married, let alone as a bride. Even when
I was with Paul, marriage never crossed my mind once- and yet with
Stuart, it's different. Whether it's because one of my best friends is
married and another one newly engaged, I can't say for sure, but if
Stuart WERE to propose to me tomorrow... I wouldn't immediately say no.
"Before you get married though," Becca giggles, "first you've got to
have an engagement party, right?"
"RIGHT, Miss Milton," Hannah says. "And as maid of honour, I declare
EVERY girls' night from now until the wedding to be Viks's engagement
party!" All of us- including Kristina-Leigh- laugh happily as Viks
(and her ring) is showered with yet more attention.
"God, this is too much," Viks squeaks.
"It's not every day you get engaged," I laugh.
"...And I believe someone has prepared something special for the
occasion, isn't that right, Miss Phillips?" Becca asks Sarah, who
giggles and pulls a beautiful long purple dress out of her tote bag, a
dress that Viks coos over as she holds against her curvaceous body.
"This... isn't the only one Becca commissioned," Sarah says with mild
embarrassment, producing two more dresses, one a strapless chiffon
gown in bright red and the other a slinky black dress with a very high
slit down one side.
"Have you been doing work on the side or something?" Adeola teases her
BFF, who simply giggles embarrassedly.
"What can I say? My daddy loves me," Becca says as she holds the red
dress up against her body.
"I'll make sure your brother knows you said that," I mock-threaten,
making Becca blush even harder.
"Ahh, I want to try these on now..." Becca moans.
"Everybody in the room does!" Charlotte laughs. "Tell you what: we'll
let you off being a daddy's girl if you let us all take a turn trying
on those dresses, deal?"
"Deal!" Becca giggles, taking the black dress into the kitchen to
change into, whilst Viks does the same with her purple dress. We spend
the rest of the evening taking turns trying on the dresses (and trying
to persuade Sarah to make some for the rest of us!) and gossiping
about our relationships, before girls' night ends with everyone going
back to their respective homes. Unusually, Nikki & Sarah are the last
to leave, just after 10pm.
"Ah, the cutest couple of them all," Charlotte giggles as the two
teenagers get into Sarah's car. "Hope all the talk of engagement rings
didn't put any pressure on you, how long have you been going out now,
3 years?"
"Just a bit over 3 years, yeah," Nikki says, looking longingly into
her girlfriend's eyes.
"I've never been to a wedding which had two brides before," Charlotte
coos. "No nasty, stinky BOY bits messing up the beauty of the whole
thing!"
"I would take that personally," Nikki giggles, "but I'm counting on my
'boy parts' being long gone by the time I get married!"
"Girl love forever!" Sarah giggles, holding her hand up to Nikki's in
an unusual and obviously personal way. I can't help but smile happily
as I wave goodbye to my prot?g? and her girlfriend. Even though
they're the youngest of all of us, their relationship is the oldest
(with the exception of Mary & Dan's), and the love between them is
clearly absolute- a love I envy, and I doubt I'm the only one.
As I climb into bed, I send my boyfriend a text message filled with
hearts and kisses, before a wicked smile creeps over my face and I
climb out of bed, stripping completely naked (despite the cold) and
standing in front of my full-length mirror. I take a photo of the
reflection of my slim, nude form and attach it to the text message,
laughing evilly as I send it. I laugh even harder when I receive a
reply less than ten minutes later containing a photo of Stuart, who is
himself completely naked save for a sock covering his genitals.
'Not at the boys' night?' I text him with a smiley face.
'Left early,' the near-immediate response reads. 'Kinda awkward with
both me and Keith there. See you tomorrow. Love you xxx'
'Love you too xxx' I reply, before leaving my phone on my nightstand
and quickly falling asleep.
My alarm wakes me on Sunday morning at 7:30am, and whilst I should be
tired and grumpy for waking up that early at the weekend, I feel re-
energised, almost exhilarated as I shower and dilate. Even though I'm
only going to my parents' house today, I still apply a full face of
make-up, before dressing in a comfortable thong bodysuit, sheer black
tights and a knee-length, long sleeved stripy dress. After breakfast-
and numerous teasing comments from Charlotte about my overly-fancy
look- I feel my heart beat faster as the doorbell rings. After
slipping my feet into a pair of ankle booties with a 3" heel, I answer
the door and immediately launch myself mouth first at my boyfriend,
kissing him deeply and nearly melting into his mouth as he wraps his
arms around my slender body.
"You two have fun at your parents'," Charlotte says happily as she
watches us leave.
"Are you sure you'll be okay on your own here?" I ask.
"I'll be fine," Charlotte says with a knowing smile. "Besides, I won't
be 'alone', will I?" Charlotte rubs her growing belly, making Stuart
and I both giggle as we head out to his car.
"I missed you yesterday," I say, giving my boyfriend another kiss as I
get into the passenger seat of his car.
"We saw each other less than 24 hours ago," Stuart laughs. "But you're
right, that IS more than 10 minutes apart... I really missed you
yesterday." I sigh and smile contentedly as we drive off into the cold
Sunday morning. When we arrive at my parents' house, I instruct Stuart
to hide outside the living room door as I let myself in.
"Mum! Dad! It's me," I say as I'm greeted with big hugs from both
parents. "I hope you don't mind, but I invited my boyfriend along
today as well..." Mum and dad both gasp with surprise as I make my
announcement in the most blas? way possible, before HUGE grins creep
across their face as Stuart makes his presence known and is greeted
with a big hug of his own from mum and a hearty handshake from dad.
"It's nice to meet you again, Mr and Mrs Travis!" Stuart says happily
as we're both guided to the sofa and parked next to each other, hand-
in-hand.
"How many times do I have to tell you," dad laughs. "'Mark and Susan',
not 'Mr and Mrs Travis'!"
"I've only been dating your daughter for a couple of days!" Stuart
laughs, wrapping an arm around my waist.
"Not as far as we're concerned!" Mum laughs. "Your dad and I were
really hoping you two would get back together, you have this 'glow' of
happiness about you when you're with each other. BOTH of you do."
"I honestly haven't been this happy in a very long time," Stuart says.
"Kinda feel bad that I didn't get either of you anything for Christmas
now..."
"There'll be another one in 362 days' time," dad jokes. "Assuming
you're still going out by then..."
"Don't jinx it!" I chastise, cuddling myself closer to Stuart, who
tightens his grip on my waist.
"In 362 YEARS I still intend to be going out with Jamie," Stuart says,
making dad laugh heartily. Stuart and I spend the entire day at my
parents' house, only leaving after a large Sunday dinner despite mum
and dad insisting that we stay the night- which amuses Stuart no end.
After bidding farewell with big hugs- including a semi-awkward 'man
hug' between Stuart and my dad- we head home to Charlotte's house with
full bellies and warm, contented hearts- and updated Facebook
relationship statuses, which gain several hundred likes within an
hour!
"Charlie? We're home," I call as I open the front door of Charlotte's
mansion, but my 'BFF senses' immediately kick into overdrive when I
hear the sound of crying coming from the living room. "Charlotte? Are
you okay?" Despite the heels on my booties, I run into the living
room, where I find Charlotte curled up on her sofa, silently weeping.
"Charlotte," I whisper, giving the distraught girl a long, loving hug.
Without even having to be told, Stuart immediately goes into the
kitchen and returns seconds later with three spoons and a big tub of
ice cream that the three of us immediately tuck into.
"What happened?" I ask, allowing Charlotte the time to compose herself
before answering.
"I- I went to see Keith," Charlotte blubs. "I- I thought- I don't know
why-"
"Take your time," I whisper, gently squeezing Charlotte's hand.
"I thought," Charlotte sighs, "that as you two had got back together,
maybe, me and Keith..."
"What did he say?" I ask.
"He called me a slut," Charlotte sobs. "And told me to get out of his
house. Called me stupid for ever thinking that we could get back
together..." I look back at Stuart, expecting him to interject an
inappropriate comment about Charlotte being foolish- which, in
fairness, she was- but much to my surprise, he remains quiet.
"I mean, I don't know WHY," Charlotte continues. "I don't know why I
thought he'd just take me back like nothing happened, but Stuart took
you back..."
"Keith's an arsehole," Stuart says, making my brow furl with
confusion.
"Umm, isn't he your best friend?" I ask.
"No, YOU'RE my best friend," Stuart says with a warm smile. "You
always have been... Yes, Keith was my best male friend, but you wouldn't
know that the way he was staring at me last night... And NO man should
speak to the mother of his child the way he did to you."
"I picked the right godfather," Charlotte says happily, getting off
the sofa and giving my boyfriend a quick hug.
"I picked the right boyfriend!" I giggle, joining in the hug that
Stuart is CLEARLY enjoying.
"Glad I've got such a great godfather for him, god knows he's never
going to have a stepfather..." Charlotte moans.
"You. Will. Find. Someone," I insist, but Charlotte simply snorts.
"Who's going to want a 23 year old single mother?" My BFF moans.
"Who's also a millionaire supermodel with her own TV show?" Stuart
quips. "Most of the UK, I'd imagine."
"I'm not a millionaire," Charlotte says in a very small voice that
makes me gasp with shock.
"But- but your dad's wealth..." I whisper.
"Almost all gone," Charlotte sobs. "The- the parties, the clothes, the
jewellery... I've barely got 15 grand left..."
"Oh my god," I whisper, cuddling Charlotte close to myself.
"I don't even know how I'm going to afford to pay for nappies,"
Charlotte blubs.
"WE'LL pay for them," Stuart offers without any hesitation.
"Right," I say firmly. "And you know ALL the other Angels will happily
chip in to help."
"I'm still going to have to sell this house," Charlotte sighs.
"Insurance is due in a few months, I can't even cover that..."
"Well I CAN," I say. "This is YOUR home, it always has been, and it
always will be."
"No- no, it's too much!" Charlotte wails. "I can't ask you to do
that..."
"My dad's been helping me with my investments," I explain. "That
initial quarter of a million you gave me has grown a LOT, even in the
current economy!"
"Quarter of a million?" Stuart asks with confusion. Inwardly, I
cringe- so much for keeping Stuart in the dark about how Charlotte and
I first met...
"We'll talk later," I say. "Charlie... You're not alone. You'll NEVER be
alone. I promise you that."
"Thank you," Charlotte whispers. For the rest of the evening, Stuart
and I reassure Charlotte that no matter her financial worries, we'll
always be able to help her out. Confessing her financial troubles
actually seems to have a positive effect on Charlotte, like a weight
has been lifted from her shoulders, and there's a smile on her face
that I haven't seen since she separated from Keith.
As I strip naked and climb into bed with Stuart, however, I can tell
that he's still uneasy, and it's not hard to guess what he's uneasy
about.
"What's the significance of ?250 000?" Stuart asks as we snuggle next
to each other.
"Ugh," I sigh. "You- you know Charlotte's backstory, right? About her
dad?"
"Him being a murderer? Yes," Stuart says.
"He was also EXTREMELY controlling when it came to Charlotte," I
explain. "She knew where she could find the evidence for her mum's
murder- the doctors who sold her dad the drugs he used- but she
couldn't get away from him long enough to acquire it. And, because we
look so much alike-"
"You know, I've NEVER seen that," Stuart jokes.
"-Because we look so much alike," I continue, "I agreed to 'step in'
for her for 5 days whilst she went up to the North-East to so what she
needed to do."
"Hang on," Stuart laughs. "And you got away with this?"
"Oh, the miracle of make-up," I giggle. "I think they talked about it
on QI once, if you can match something closely enough, the human brain
can kinda 'fill in the blanks'."
"And the quarter of a million?" Stuart asks.
"My 'reward' for a job well done," I say.
"Seems a bit steep for a week's work," Stuart says. "AND it's a bit
funny that someone with male genetics could look so much like 'the
supermodel'... Hang on, were you transitioning at the time?"
"...No," I say in a small voice, not wanting to lie to my boyfriend.
"So, what," Stuart asks, "you lived life as a girl full-time for one
week and decided you liked it so much you'd stay this way?"
"In fairness, my life as a boy REALLY sucked," I explain. "My best day
as James doesn't compare to my worst day as Jamie-Lee. The important
thing is that I AM Jamie-Lee... And I'm in a position to help the
woman who gave me a better life than I could ever have imagined."
"WE'RE in a position to do that," Stuart says, cuddling me and giving
me a kiss. "If what you say is true... I guess I owe Charlotte a lot
too!" I giggle as I relax into Stuart's cuddle, smiling happily as we
both quickly fall asleep.
We wake up the following morning just after 8:30, grateful for the
lie-in after the hectic pace of the last few days. Despite it being
Monday, there's no ballet today (Krystie always closes the studio
between Christmas and the New Year) so Stuart and I take our time
getting up, showering (separately) and, in my case, dilating.
Despite ballet being cancelled, the 'extended Angels family' is still
having a get-together today, albeit at a coffee shop instead of a
dance studio, and there will be a small camera crew present to gather
footage for series 2 of 'The Angels', so I make sure my make-up and
nails are perfect before dressing in a sexy lace bra and thong set, a
lightly-laced waist cincher, sheer black stockings, a tight red
sweater and a tight black miniskirt. 4" heeled stilettos complete my
look, much to Stuart's dismay as he exits the shower to discover that
I've suddenly become 2 inches taller than him. After he dresses in a
smart shirt and trousers (and his poshest-looking walking boots), we
head downstairs to find Charlotte already awake, lazily playing with a
cold cup of coffee.
"Are you allowed to drink coffee whilst you're pregnant?" Stuart asks
as I give my BFF a quick hug.
"I'm allowed one cup a day," Charlotte says. "Not that I've drank much
of it, then again, I can't even afford to throw away a cup of coffee
any more..."
"Charlie," I say softly. "Groceries from now on are coming out of MY
pocket. All of them." To prove my point, I take Charlotte's cold,
gross cup and pour it all away, quickly brewing the girl a hot
replacement.
"Make sure you talk to Joshua today," Stuart advises Charlotte, who
nods. "If anyone can give you help or advice with money, it's him. And
you know he'll happily bankroll ALL Angel parties from now on, what
with the free publicity it gets you all!"
"Hehe," Charlotte giggles. "God, I really don't want to go in front of
the cameras today..."
"We can always call the producers and see if they can rearrange?" I
offer.
"No," Charlotte sighs. "Best get it over and done with... Besides, I
don't need your sister making any more attempts to replace me in the
Angels!" Stuart chuckles at the mention of the increasingly fame-
hungry Becca.
"You know, she is still SUPPOSEDLY a student," Stuart laughs. "Don't
think she's actually done any studying since the start of filming for
your show, though..."
"Speaking of, I'd better get on with mine when I get home," I sigh.
"See if I can drag my grade back up to a 2:2..."
"We head to the small, intimate coffee shop not long afterward. Joshua
had arranged for the shop to be closed to the public today so that we
have it all to ourselves- something the owner was happy to agree to in
exchange for free publicity and a LOT of money- but with all six
Angels, Becca, Adeola, Nikki's gang and (where appropriate)
boyfriends, it's still plenty packed. Notable by his absence, however,
is Keith, which is something Charlotte can't help but notice as she
sits with Hannah, Stuart and myself.
"You'd have thought he'd have come even if just to hang out with the
guys," Charlotte moans as she drinks her decaffeinated drink. "I mean,
Paul Kennedy's here and he's not going out with any of the girls..."
"Like he'd have the guts to ask any of us," Hannah giggles. "And
besides, you know you're not the only single lady here..."
"Yes, but unlike you, I don't have men literally flinging themselves
at me," Charlotte quips, making Hannah giggle happily.
"I think we should make this the official 'single lady' table!" Hannah
announces. "No stupid TESTOSTERONE spoiling the air!"
"Fair enough," Stuart says, chuckling as the two of us stand up and
Hannah calls Adeola and Dannii to their table.
"Oh great," Charlotte moans as we walk away, "I'm going to be at a
table with 3 girls who are all at least 4 inches taller than me..." I
chuckle as I walk hand-in-hand with Stuart to a large table around
which Krystie, Mikey, Riley and Becca are sat enjoying their drinks.
"Ah, the sort-of newest couple!" Krystie teases as we sit down with
our drinks. "I hope you're treated the godmother of my unborn child
well, Stu..." My jaw drops as Krystie rubs her flat belly, before
bursting out into fits of giggles.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" Krystie laughs, making me roll my eyes.
"But seriously, you're what, three days into the new relationship? How
are things?"
"Like we've been going out forever," Stuart says, earning quizzical
looks from all three women at the table. "But I, um mean that in a
good way, of course..."
"Moron," Becca giggles.
"I mean," Stuart says, looking happily into my eyes, "that I can't
imagine being with anyone other than Jamie." I giggle and give Stuart
a quick kiss, much to the delight of the table- not to mention the
assembled TV cameras!
Mindful of my incomplete university assignments, I manage to sneak out
early, unseen my cameramen who would undoubtedly have collared myself
and Stuart for a few words about our new relationship, something I was
NOT in a mood for.
Time passes quickly at home as Stuart helps me with my assignments- so
much so that when Charlotte returns, I'm surprised to find that it's
almost 3pm.
"You were gone a while," Stuart says to the pregnant woman, who
dramatically crashes onto the sofa.
"Did- did you go to see Keith again?" I ask hesitantly.
"No," Charlotte replies. "Learned my lesson there! I actually took
your advice, talked to Joshua- about the money, amongst other things."
"...And?" I ask.
"He's set me up with an expert accountant that he's paying for,"
Charlotte says. "And he's agreed to buy my house. He's going to rent
it to me so I- and, of course, my son- can live here as long as I
want."
"How much is the rent?" I ask nervously.
"...6 grand a month," Charlotte sighs. "But he'll take care of
everything, the maintenance, the council tax, and I can easily afford
6 grand a month... It just won't leave much for anything else,
especially after baby stuff..."
"THREE grand a month," I say with a confident smile.
"No, no, I can't ask you to do that," Charlotte says.
"TWO grand a month," Stuart says.
"Um," I say quietly. "Stu, you don't even MAKE two grand a month..."
"Well then I'll contribute what I can," my boyfriend says with a warm
smile. "I can't have my godson going hungry now, can I?"
"Thank you, thank you both," Charlotte sniffles, giving us both a huge
hug. "But this is my mess, I should get myself out of it..."
"NO," I say firmly. "We're your friends. That means when you're in
trouble, we help in any way we can. Right, Stu?"
"Right!" Stuart says.
"I don't deserve friends like you..." Charlotte sobs as I put my
university work away and we begin to discuss how we'll save her
finances.
As Stuart and I climb into bed at the end of a long day poring over
facts and figures- but not the usual kind you'd associate with a
fashion model- my boyfriend makes an observation that surprises me.
"Jamie..." Stuart says nervously. "About Charlotte..."
"Yes?" I ask.
"I mean this in the nicest possible way," Stuart continues. "I'm not
TRYING to be nasty but- she- she is bipolar, isn't she?" I bristle
slightly at the perceived insult to my BFF, but the more I think about
it, what with Charlotte's mood swings, her frequently erratic
behaviour and her (thankfully very) occasional talk of suicide and
self-harm... Stuart may have a point.
"She's never been diagnosed with it," I say stoically. "...Though
she's never even seen a counsellor before... I think she figures that
if she's never diagnosed, she'll never have it..."
"My parents were the same way with me when I entered puberty," Stuart
sighs. "I had my first period at the age of 13, and from then until I
started transitioning were the worst three years of my life. Some
nights I'd just hole up in my room and scream, hoping that- I dunno,
I'd somehow 'transcend' or something... Puberty nearly killed me, and
I'm not being metaphorical." I cuddle Stuart close to my body as he
confesses his feelings in a very unmasculine way.
"Don't let 'the guys' hear you talking like this!" I joke.
"This is going to sound odd," Stuart says, "but I'm really not that
bothered about being 'one of the guys'. I wasn't joking earlier when I
said that you were my best friend. I love you in every way imaginable,
and if I had to choose between hanging out with 'the guys' or The
Angels for the rest of my life... I'd honestly choose The Angels. As
the token boy, of course."
"BOY!" I giggle sighing as Stuart wraps a muscular arm around my
waist.
"I prefer 'man'," Stuart says. "'Real' men aren't afraid to talk about
feelings, emotions, especially not with the woman they love."
"MAN, then," I laugh, sighing happily as Stuart and I once again
cuddle each other to sleep.
My alarm clock wakes me the following morning at 7:45am, much to
Stuart's dismay. After giving him a kiss and letting him get back to
sleep, I dilate, before showering, applying my make-up and dressing
for the day in a fresh bra and thong set, black tights, high-heeled
knee-high boots and a short, long-sleeved black dress.
"Every square inch of you is perfection," Stuart says, giving me a
long hug and an even longer kiss as I grab my handbag and prepare to
leave. "Sure you don't want me to drive you? I don't have to be at the
theatre until 11..."
"Nah, I'm picking up all of Nikki's gang," I explain. "The
Angelmobile's the only car big enough for that..."
"I can always drive that, if you want," Stuart offers.
"And leave me stuck in the back with five 17 year old girls? No
thanks!" I giggle, making Stuart laugh and give me another kiss.
"Well then you and I are going on a date tonight," Stuart announces in
a grand voice. "I'll pick a restaurant, I'll wear my sexy shirt, you
wear- well, anything really, you always look beautiful in anything you
wear."
"SO DO YOU," I say, giving Stuart another final kiss as I leave. "I'll
see you tonight. It's a date!"
"Damn right it is!" Stuart laughs as I head downstairs to find
Charlotte waiting in the entrance hall for me.
"Hi Charlie," I say, greeting my BFF with a hug. "I'm just off out,
Nikki and her gang have got a shoot today, Joshua wants them to be
chaperoned..."
"Jamie..." Charlotte says, approaching me and giving me a tender hug.
"Promise- promise me that you won't leave..."
"Of COURSE I won't," I say, returning Charlotte's hug. "Why on Earth
would you ever think that I would?"
"Because you have Stuart now," Charlotte sniffles.
"I do," I say. "And I love him, and he's my best friend... But you're
my best friend FOREVER. And you always will be. If I was forced to
choose between you and him... I wouldn't choose. Simple as that."
"Thank you," Charlotte sniffs.
"What have you got planned for today, anyway?" I ask my BFF, who
smiles and wipes the tears from her eyes.
"Getting set up for tomorrow's NYE party," Charlotte says. "And before
you say anything... Joshua's already agreed to foot the bill for it-
provided we have a camera crew present, of course!"
"Sounds fair," I giggle, giving my BFF one more hug before getting in
the Angelmobile (which was dropped off here yesterday after the
'coffee morning') and driving away.
45 minutes later, I arrive at the pre-booked studio with the five
teenagers in tow, feeling every bit like a teacher on a field trip-
even though three of the girls are taller than I am! I certainly gain
a new appreciation for all the work Nikki does for the Angels as I-
for one day only- adopt the 'PA' role and escort the girls to their
dressing room, ensuring that all their requirements are met and that
the photoshoot runs on schedule. The shoot itself is very basic- just
a few group and solo shots in plain outfits (mostly casual skirts and
tops) that Joshua can use for publicity purposes- but as none of the
girls besides Nikki or Dannii have any professional modelling
experience (and Nikki's is severely limited), the shoot takes a LOT
longer than expected, to the point where even I'm tired when the
photographer announces that the shoot is complete and we can all go
home.
"Not bad," Nikki teases as she accompanies me to the coffee machine.
"Think you might need a few pointers if you're to make a go of being a
PA as a career..."
"Oh hilarious," I say sarcastically before giggling along with my
prot?g?. "Though you don't need ANY pointers, you're all so confident
up there. Well... Lauren looked a little nervous at times."
"Yeah, she's not 'really' a model," Nikki muses. "Though that's not to
say that she isn't beautiful, it's just next to Dannii..."
"A short, curvy dark-haired girl feeling inferior to her tall, skinny
blonde friend?" I muse. "Heard that story before, and I dimly recall
it ending with the dark-haired girl getting swept off her feet by the
man of her dreams..."
"Hehe," Nikki giggles. "I'll have to tell her you said that... Jamie,
can I- can I tell you something?"
"Of course," I say.
"In private, I mean," Nikki says. I quickly nod and follow Nikki into
the ladies' toilets, inwardly giggling at the thought of two
genetically male people having a very feminine discussion in the
little girls' room.
"What's up?" I ask. "Is it about your SRS?"
"No," Nikki sighs. "Still not got a date for that..."
"The more you put it off..." I say, making Nikki close her eyes with
frustration.
"I know, I know... It's Sarah... She's got an engagement ring," Nikki
explains, making me gasp. "She hasn't proposed- I'm only seventeen,
she'd need my parents' permission... Though as they made her godmother
to my baby sister, I doubt they'd say 'no'..."
"...And what would you say?" I ask. "If Sarah proposed, that is."
"Yes," Nikki says without hesitation. "I... I love her. It's just-
it's just-"
"Seventeen is a bit young to be thinking about marriage?" I tease.
"Except I DO think about it, all the time," Nikki sighs. "I even DREAM
about it... Ever since I was fourteen, when Sarah and I started going
out, I've had this recurring dream where the two of us are both
brides, we're both getting married, living out the rest of our lives
together..."
"You're so lucky," I say, earning a quizzical stare from Nikki.
"You've known all along who you loved, who you were going to spend the
rest of your life with... That's a rare privilege, Nikki."
"I... I kinda need some advice here," Nikki sighs.
"Isn't it obvious what you should do?" I tease. Nikki sadly shakes her
head, her long brown hair fluttering in front of her immaculately
made-up face.
"Buy HER a ring," I say with a smile. "Trust me when I say it couldn't
be more obvious how much Sarah loves you. And Charlotte was right- a
wedding with two brides would be the cutest thing ever! Just don't
leave it too long before sending me an invite, okay?"
"Okay!" Nikki says with a wide grin on her fuchsia lips. "Thanks as
always, Jamie... This has been a real help."
"You know I'll always be here for you if you need me," I say, giving
the taller girl a quick hug. "Now you'll have to excuse me, as I have
a hot date!"
"Make sure the BOY treats you like the centre of the universe!" Nikki
giggles.
"I'm not interested in 'boys' anymore," I giggle. "'Men', on the other
hand, 'real' men are DAMNED good!" Nikki and I both exit the toilet in
fits of laughter, much to the confusion of Sarah, who greets Nikki
with a kiss before we all head out to the Angelmobile. After dropping
the five girls back at their homes, I head home and change out of my
dress, tights and boots into a pair of black, seamed stockings and a
slinky, knee-length dress in deep crimson that exposes a LOT of
cleavage. After touching up my make-up and repainting my nails to
match my dress, I put on my favourite sapphire earrings, and fasten
Stuart's memory stick necklace around my neck, before spritzing myself
with my favourite perfume and pulling on a pair of low heels,
conscious of the short stature of the man I'll be seeing. After giving
my hair a final brush to maximise its volume, I head downstairs to
wait for my date- and immediately earn an approving grin from my BFF.
"Sexy sexy lady!" Charlotte giggles. "But those heels- a bit low,
maybe?"
"Stuart's only 5' 7"," I explain. "Don't want him to feel short stood
next to me."
"Best. Girlfriend. Ever!" Charlotte cheers.
"Will- will you be okay tonight?" I ask, conscious of my earlier chat
with Charlotte. "Because if you're feeling lonely, I can always call
Stu-"
"Best. BFF. Ever!" Charlotte says, giving me a hug but taking care not
to wrinkle my dress. "And don't you DARE call Stu! You go out and you
have fun! Besides, Hannah and Addie are coming over for a 'single
ladies' night. No TAKEN women allowed!" I giggle as Charlotte 'throws
me out'- though as happy as I am that she's back to her usual, bubbly
self, I can't help but remember Stuart's 'diagnosis' from the last
night.
All negative thoughts leave my mind, however, when Stuart picks me up
in his car- and as promised, he is indeed wearing his 'sexy shirt'- a
very cute fitted shirt in black cotton with a light grey pattern down
one side. I greet my boyfriend with a long, deep kiss, the romantic
moment only slightly spoiled by Charlotte's enthusiastic cheering from
her front door!
"I missed you," Stuart says as we get in his car. "And before you say
'it's been less than twelve hours', I don't care, you're my
girlfriend, I love you, whenever we're apart, I miss you. So there." I
laugh heartily, leaning over and giving Stuart a kiss on his stubbly
face.
"I missed you too," I sigh happily. "What restaurant have you chosen?"
"New Japanese place that opened near Leicester Square," Stuart says.
"NOT sushi, I know you don't like that. You're not allergic to
shellfish, are you?"
"Nope," I say. "And I LOVE Japanese food!" Stuart and I both grin
widely as we drive into the cold London night, our stomachs growling
in anticipation of the oriental treats that await us.
Two hours later, we returned home with our bellies filled with ramen
and tuna and our mouths filled with laughter- thanks in no small part
to my inept attempts to learn how to use chopsticks after a generous
helping of sake! The second we step through my bedroom door, I grab
Stuart's sexy shirt and pull the handsome man close to me, kissing him
deeply and quivering with excitement as his tongue enters my mouth.
Stuart's sexy shirt very quickly finds its way to the floor, closely
followed by our shoes, his trousers and my dress. I sit Stuart down on
the edge of my bed and straddle him, kissing him deeply once again and
wrapping my stocking-clad legs around his tight, bare torso. Stuart
slowly unclips my stockings and slides them down my smooth legs,
teasing my soft flesh with his fingertips every inch of the way until
my legs are bare, tingling under his touch. He then skilfully unhooks
my bra and sends that tumbling to the floor, before gently kissing my
nipples, which harden in an instant. As I lower Stuart's boxer shorts,
he slowly slides my thong out of my backside, leaving us both totally
naked in the cold air of my bedroom. We kiss each other deeply one
more time, before collapsing back onto the bed entwined in each
other's arms.
Stuart then suddenly spins round on his backside, presenting his
crotch to my face. As I feel his tongue start to coat my clitoris with
a layer of saliva, I suckle his engorged clitoris, and soon we're
orgasming together, thrusting into each other's mouths over and over
again until we're both comp