"Happy Valentine's Day!" I say happily, clinking my wine glass with that
of the sexy guy opposite me. I'm dressed in a short, slinky black dress,
translucent seamed stockings and extra-high heels (much to my
boyfriend's chagrin), whilst the handsome man opposite me is wearing a
smart suit with a bright white shirt and a plain grey tie.
"Happy Valentine's Day," Stuart says, sipping his wine with one hand
whilst his other hand links his fingers with mine. "This is absolutely
PERFECT."
"Anywhere is perfect, as long as you're there," I giggle, leaning in to
give Stuart a quick kiss. Our meal is long since finished and we're both
eager to get home- but the presence of a camera crew in the restaurant
is kind-of putting a dent in our romantic plans, as is made obvious to
me when Stuart stares sadly into my eyes with a 'PLEASE can we go now?'
look on his face. Eventually, the camera crew pack up their equipment,
and we waste no time in climbing into the back of the nearest taxi.
"So," Stuart giggles. "Your place or mine?"
"Yours," I laugh. "Charlotte's having a 'single ladies' party at her
house..."
"Afraid she'll cramp your style?" Stuart teases.
"Afraid we'll cramp HERS!" I giggle as Stuart gives his address to the
cabbie.
"Never had a romantic evening recorded for millions to watch before,"
Stuart laughs as he wraps a strong arm around my slender waist.
"Hardly MILLIONS," I reply. "Hundreds of thousands at best."
"Enough to get renewed for a THIRD season, though," Stuart says, and I
nod in reply. Interest in the second season of our reality show is
increasing now that filming's started, and all six of us are very active
promoting it on our social media sites, so Stuart's assumption that we
might get over a million viewers isn't that far-fetched. The vast
majority of my time- and Stuart's time, for that matter- has been taken
up with holding auditions for Joshua's new girl band. Becca and Adeola
have finally managed to persuade Joshua that they need a band, so for
the whole of last week, the two of us- along with Joshua and (when she's
not busy with her school) Krystie have been sat behind a table
pretending to be Simon Cowell as hundreds of girls between the ages of
16 and 24 try to persuade us that they have what it takes to be the next
Cheryl Fernandez-Versini. Some of the girls have even been
transgendered, which from a personal standpoint, is pretty satisfying-
Joshua's said he wants to hire the three best women for the job
regardless of which gender they were born, but I have high hopes that a
'girl like me' might end up in the final line-up.
With my professional life getting increasingly hectic- and the final
year of my Open University Degree placing additional strain on my free
time, to the point that I'll probably have to delay graduating for a
year- it's a relief that my personal life has finally started to settle
down. My relationship with Stuart has picked up from where it left off
without even the slightest hitch- my 'indiscretion' last year has been
all but completely forgiven by Stuart, though his family are still a
little wary around me, especially Becca (which makes working life even
MORE difficult). Stuart and I spend virtually every night together in
bed, and we've become more and more adventurous sexually as well- with
me now being ten months post-op, I'm more and more comfortable
'exploring' the new sensations my new body has to offer. Eight months
from now, Stuart himself will be post-op... Though he'll have to wait a
lot longer before he can use his new 'equipment'.
In contrast to Stuart's parents, my parents couldn't be happier that
Stuart and I are back together. Whilst I still live with Charlotte full-
time, my old room at my parents' house is still furnished for me (and
Stuart) to use whenever I want, and they've also said they've splashed
out on an expensive gift for his 25th birthday next month. They clearly
see him as their future son-in-law, even though we're not even so much
as engaged yet.
Stuart and the rest of the boys have grown closer to us girls too on a
social level too, with Stuart even taking on party organising duties
last week after Nikki (my 'prot?g?') passed her driving test, though his
choice of 'Top Gear' as a theme was a bit predictable! Whenever we have
out, it's no longer a case of 'girls in one room, boys in the other', we
now all mix together like one big, happy family (with the exception of
girls nights out on Fridays and girls nights in on Saturdays, of
course).
...There is, however, one exception to the 'happy family', and that's
Keith, and to a lesser extent, Charlotte. Between us, the Angels have
taken a pact that Charlotte will NEVER be alone in her big home up to
and including after her baby is born. It's not so much that she's on
suicide watch, but what Stuart said at Christmas about Charlotte
possibly being bipolar stuck in my mind, and for her sake- and the sake
of her unborn child- myself, Krystie, Mary (when she's not busy with her
own child), Hannah and Viks make sure that no matter what, we'll always
have time for Charlotte if she needs us.
Keith, on the other hand, has all but completely vanished from our
lives. Sometimes I catch myself wondering what my life would be like if
I had chosen him instead of Stuart- I HAD pined after him for over three
years, after all- but every time I 'fantasise', all the negative
consequences that choice would have brought come to mind- consequences
like an inevitable alienation from Charlotte, the disapproval of the
rest of the Angels (and possible Nikki and her gang too), and the effect
it'd have on Stuart... But the effect on Keith of my decision to be with
Stuart has been just as negative. Stuart tells me that he rarely hangs
out with the boys any more- he wasn't at the Top Gear party last week,
and has been replaced as Jonathan's best man after missing several of
Jonathan's wedding planning meetings (though I suspect at these meetings
are less about planning a wedding and more about eating junk food and
playing videogames). Stuart's said that he's worried about Keith... And
so am I.
All thoughts of Keith leave my mind, however, when Stuart and I arrive
in his bedroom and his suit almost immediately finds its way to his
floor, closely followed by my dress, my shoes and my sexy extra-special
lingerie. I pant heavily as Stuart gently teases my nipples with his
lips, whilst I stroke his swollen clitoris, smiling wickedly as I feel
his body start to twitch and pulse. Within seconds, we're on his bed,
our mouths locked in a passionate embrace and our hands exploring each
other's most sensitive, personal areas. Soon, I break away from the kiss
and turn so that Stuart's groin is directly in front of my face. I
gently take his clitoris between my lips, and Stuart runs his expert
tongue over my most sensitive organ, stimulating it to orgasm and beyond
as I feel Stuart thrust uncontrollably, telling me that he has reached
his climax as well.
"Thank god they weren't filming THAT," Stuart giggles as I snuggle into
his warm chest.
"Get some sleep babe," I order between heavy panting. "Long day
tomorrow..."
"Sure thing," Stuart says, giving me a long kiss before we both quickly
fall into a deep sleep.
I awaken still snuggled up against Stuart's slender, slumbering frame,
and I spend at least fifteen minutes listening to him breathe before
waking him with a kiss on his lips.
"I could stay awake, just to hear you breathing..." I sing to my boyfriend
as he slowly wakes up.
"Good, but I doubt Becca would approve of you being in the band," Stuart
laughs.
"...And I'm happy where I am, on the OTHER side of the desk," I laugh,
patting Stuart firmly on the backside as he gets up and heads into the
shower. After I shower, I apply a moderate layer of make-up before
pulling on a brand-new bra and thong set (Stuart and I keep some clothes
at each other's houses), a pair of black tights, a tight blue top and an
extra-tight knee-length black pencil skirt. After pulling on the same
shoes I wore last night (much to Stuart's annoyance) I walk downstairs,
hand-in-hand with my love, to where his family are waiting around their
vast breakfast table.
"Morning Stu!" Stuart's newly-retired dad says to us as we take our
seats. "Morning Jamie! Good night out, I take it?"
"It was great," I reply with a smile. "Are we the only ones up?"
"Lee and Emma stayed the night at their house," Stuart's mother
explains. "Becca and Riley are still in bed... I hope once you get her
that band she wants you'll also get some hard work out of that girl!" I
open my mouth to respond, but am silenced by a disapproving grumble from
Stuart's father.
"Oh come on, dad," Stuart pleads. "It's NOT getting in the way of her
uni studies- if anything, it's helping them as she's studying music- and
you know I'll never let her get exploited the way some stars are."
"Try and look at it from my perspective," Mr Milton sighs. "My baby girl
is being turned into a pin-up and it's my son who's pinning her up
there!"
"'Pin-up' is a bit harsh," I try to argue, only to get cut off by the
elderly gentleman.
"My son AND his girlfriend," Stuart's dad sighs, just as Becca descends
the staircase hand-in-hand with her boyfriend.
"Speak of the devil and she appears," Stuart laughs, prompting Becca to
stick her tongue out at him as she sits down.
"Only good things, I trust?" Becca laughs as talk quickly descends into
a discussion of her upcoming 'superstardom', but all throughout the
breakfast all I can focus on are the accusing looks I'm STILL
occasionally getting from Stuart's family- even from the girl I'm trying
to make into a superstar. It's a relief when Emma (Stuart's older
sister) and her husband arrive to whisk us all away for lunch, where the
atmosphere is at least a little friendlier (thanks mostly to Emma's
pregnancy being the main topic of discussion).
"Do you..." I ask hesitantly as Stuart and I drive home after the meal.
"Do you think your family will ever forgive me for, well, you know?"
"I'VE forgiven you, that's all that matter," Stuart says. "I LOVE you.
What the old farts and the little brat think... Is it important?"
"'Old farts and little brat' is a bit harsh, don't you think?" I giggle.
"Meh, it's true, though," Stuart sighs. "They'll come round, I know they
will. When they see that I'm NOT letting you go... They'll have to!" I
giggle happily as Stuart drives us to our next 'rendezvous' of the day,
this time with my own parents.
"Jamie!" Mum beams happily, greeting me and my boyfriend with a big hug
each. "Stuart! You're both looking so well!"
"Hi Jamie!" Dad says, also giving me a big hug. "Hello, son! Come on in,
you've not got any cameras with you this time, I trust?"
"No, no, just us," I laugh as I snuggle up next to Stuart on our sofa.
"That's a very nice pair of shoes," mum says. "Did you get them from one
of your endorsements?"
"Yeah," I say, showing off the footwear as dad and Stuart playfully roll
their eyes at each other. "I can always get you a pair if you'd like..."
"Noo," mum giggles. "If I tried wearing a pair like that I'd probably
break my ankles if not my neck!"
"So, Mark," Stuart announces loudly. "Had any chance to take those new
golf clubs for a spin yet?" My dad laughs as Stuart attempts vainly to
add some masculinity to the conversation.
"Not in this weather," dad chuckles. "Might head up to the course on
Wednesday if the weather clears up. Fancy coming with me for a round?"
"Heh, haven't played golf in ages," Stuart laughs. "My dad tried to
teach me a few years ago but it was just a few months after I started
transitioning, my upper body strength sucked..."
"I can teach you," dad says with a warm smile. "It's easy enough once
you get the hang of it."
"Okay," Stuart says with a wide grin of his own. "Wednesday it is!"
"Boys and their toys..." I tease, making Stuart give me a tight, playful
cuddle.
"Girls and their shoes!" Stuart retorts as the four of us giggle
happily- the relaxed, friendly atmosphere a far cry from the tension of
lunch with Stuart's family. The 'duelling discussion' of fashion vs
sport continues through the rest of the day, including a large dinner
that mum cooks for us. We eventually head home just after 6pm with my
skirt feeling extra tight from all the delicious food I've eaten all
day.
"Going to need to work EXTRA hard at ballet tomorrow," I laugh as I
relaxed my bloated-feeling stomach.
"Oh please," Stuart laughs. "You're still as skinny as a rake! Well,
skinny but with all the right sexy curves in all the right sexy places!"
I giggle as Stuart gently strokes my thigh with his left hand.
"You and dad seem to get on better and better every time you see each
other," I say. "God knows you get on better than I do with your mum..."
"I like Mark, he's a great guy," Stuart says. "Can't believe he reacted
the way he did when he, well, 'met Jamie-Lee' for the first time." I
sigh as I remember my disastrous coming out three years ago.
"I think he realised that either he needed an attitude adjustment or
risk losing his child forever," I mumble. "Glad he picked the right
option... Think he still hasn't forgiven himself for that first meeting."
"But have YOU forgiven him?" Stuart asks.
"A thousand times over," I say happily. "If I ever end up adopting a
child, I'd hope to be as good at raising them as my parents." Stuart
smiles and squeezes my hand as we drive into the night.
"Hi honey, we're home!" I giggle as I open the front door of Charlotte's
vast home.
"And what time do you call this?" My six months pregnant BFF asks,
tapping her foot on the floor in mock disapproval, before bursting into
a fit of giggles and giving myself and Stuart big hugs each.
"Are Jon and Viks still here?" Stuart asks of Charlotte's 'babysitters'
for today.
"Nah, sent them home about an hour ago," Charlotte says dismissively.
"Umm, okay, you were okay on your own?" I ask, not even bothering to
disguise my concern.
"Oh please," Charlotte giggles. "I'm 23, I'm not an infant! Come on,
hope you're still hungry, Jon made an AMAZING souffl?!"
"This would be a high, then," Stuart whispers to me as we follow
Charlotte into the living room, where Stuart thankfully finishes off
Jonathan's souffl? so I don't have to torture my stomach any further.
"You two have fun with your parentses?" Charlotte asks.
"Yeah," Stuart sighs, his stomach clearly feeling the effects of the
souffl?. "My folks are still a bit awkward around Jamie, though..." I
frown as I see Charlotte's face start to fall- the reason for Stuart's
family's unhappiness toward me also affected Charlotte on a very
personal level.
"Meh, more Jamie for the rest of us, then!" Charlotte giggles. "I take
it clan Travis are more accepting of their prospective son-in-law?"
"Bit early to say 'son-in-law'," I laugh nervously. "But yes, yes they
are, dad even wants to take Stuart out for a round of golf..."
"Ooh, bonding with the old man..." Charlotte teases. "I remember when I
was sixteen, when I first went out with Keith I'd spend SO much time
with his mum..." I watch Charlotte carefully as she talks about her
teenage years and her early relationship with Keith, just in case her
memories cause some sort of 'trigger' that sends her emotions on a
downward spiral, but much to my relief, the smile remains on her face
throughout the evening, even as we eventually head to bed just after
10pm. After I dilate, I smile as Stuart wraps his arms around my naked
body and holds me close to him under the sheets, but I can't help but
worry about my BFF, alone in her bed for the umpteenth day in a row...
I wake up on Monday morning still wrapped in Stuart's arms, and it takes
nearly all of my willpower to unwrap myself and head into the shower,
before pulling on a brand-new pair of soft pink tights and my trusty
black tank leotard. I grin wickedly as I climb back onto my bed and rub
my lycra-clad body against Stuart's arms and his face, giggling as he
sleepily moans with delight at the sensation of the soft fabric against
his skin.
"Mmm..." Stuart sighs. "MUCH nicer when the tights are on someone else's
body..." I laugh as Stuart grabs my slender thigh and gives it a gentle
squeeze.
"Get up babe," I say, giving Stuart a quick kiss. "You're driving!"
Stuart smiles as he tiredly stretches his body en route to the shower,
emerging a few minutes later and pulling on a plain grey shirt and a
slouchy pair of jeans.
"Aren't you a little old for ballet by now?" Stuart asks as we-
accompanied by Charlotte- head down to his car. I stare at my BFF as
Stuart asks his question, who simply nods approvingly.
"BOY!" We both shout, startling the sexy transman.
"You know I take that as a compliment, GIRLS!" Stuart retorts, making
both myself and Charlotte giggle.
"It's not really about the dancing," I say. "Though being beautiful,
elegant and graceful IS always fun! It's really more about having
something I can do with the girls, ALL the girls. It's not really any
different from your games nights..."
"Yeah, but on our games nights, we don't wear special costumes or do our
hair..." Stuart feebly argues.
"No, you just use ?400 plastic boxes that have no other purpose,"
Charlotte says. "There's really no difference between spending ?40 on a
pair of pointe shoes and spending ?40 on a videogame..."
"Yeah, but pointe shoes wear out," Stuart says.
"As does your interest in the games you play!" I retort, making Stuart
sigh.
"I'm not winning this one am I?" Stuart says, and Charlotte and I both
grin widely as we shake our heads. "Fine... You're all gorgeous, elegant,
graceful ballerinas and always will be, regardless of age."
"Better," Charlotte says. "Can't wait to get back into my pointes... Hope
I haven't got too rusty whilst I'm growing this little one!"
"You know Krys will give you extra refresher lessons," I say, giving my
BFF a hug as she gets on the back seat of Stuart's car. "You saw how
quickly Mary caught back up after having Kristina-Leigh, right?"
"Yeah, but Mary was always gorgeous and elegant," Charlotte sighs.
"So were you!" I say. "You must've watched the black swan party
performance we did a hundred times, you blew everyone away!"
"Hell, you blew ME away and I'm a blockheaded BOY!" Stuart jokes, making
Charlotte giggle happily, much to my relief. Charlotte's smile remains
on her face as we arrive at the dance studio to be greeted by all the
other ballerinas in our private lesson. After tying mine & Nikki's buns,
Krystie gets the lesson started. After our initial stretches, the twelve
of us (including Krystie) pull our pointe shoes on and start practising
pas de deux. Much to my surprise, I find myself working with Dannii-
Nikki & Sarah's friend- which is a unique experience as she's as almost
as tall in stocking feet as I am en pointe! After ninety minutes of
dancing that leaves my dancewear stained with sweat but my body almost
literally glowing with energy.
"Hey Snikki!" I say happily to my prot?g? and her girlfriend, who
cringe at the use of the portmanteau as they remove their pointe shoes.
"Got anything planned for the rest of the day?"
"No, only being driven to college by my sexy ballerina girlfriend!"
Sarah giggles, wrapping her arms around Nikki as she tries to put her
dress back on.
"And after you've done the driving?" I ask Nikki, who simply shrugs and
giggles.
"Good," I giggle. "You can drive me and Charlotte home!"
"Oh, what?" Nikki moans. "I'm claiming the petrol expenses, you know..."
"For four miles?" I laugh. "Still cheaper than a cab!"
"Why can't Stuart drive you home?" Nikki asks.
"He's off to his studio," I explain as Charlotte and I jump into Nikki's
car before she can complain further. "Now come on, before Becca and
Addie pester me about the auditions!" With a tired giggle, Nikki gets
into her car and, after dropping Sarah off at college, drives both
myself and Charlotte home.
"Okay," Nikki says as she switches off her engine. "As you invited
yourself into my car, I'm inviting MYSELF in for a coffee!"
"Sounds fair," Charlotte giggles, getting out of the small car with mine
& Nikki's help. "Come on, you can lift better than that! I know there
are precisely ZERO strong men on this driveway, but still..." Nikki and I
both giggle- it may have been an unusual compliment that Charlotte paid
us, but that's obviously how it was intended to be taken, and it's
hardly the first time Charlotte's complimented either myself or Nikki in
this manner.
"So what's up with you and Dannii?" I ask Nikki. "Any particular reason
I was stuck with the giggly blonde giant today?"
"Ugh," Nikki sighs. "Long story..."
Nikki sticks around for the rest of the morning, chatting with myself
and Charlotte (and recording a brief video clip for her vlog) before
heading to Sarah's college for lunch, leaving me alone with my BFF for
the rest of the day.
"Did Nikki and Dannii's story remind you of anything?" Charlotte asks
sadly as she cooks us a small lunch. "One girl acting selfishly, getting
herself ostracised from the rest of the group, needing to earn
forgiveness..."
"How could it not?" I sigh, giving my BFF a tight hug. "You might not
want to hear this... But it kinda reminds me of Keith as well." Charlotte
pauses briefly as I mention the name of her former lover, before
resuming her cooking.
"Difference is that Keith ostracised himself on purpose," Charlotte says
coldly. "He's welcome back any time he wants, and not just with the
boys..."
"Have you spoken to him recently?" I ask, but Charlotte simply shakes
her head.
"I send him the occasional email, but he doesn't respond," Charlotte
sighs. "He hasn't even re-added me on Facebook..."
"He can't ignore you forever," I say. "He's the father of your child, he
has a responsibility."
"He's already agreed to pay me maintenance every month," Charlotte says.
"There's more to being a parent than just writing a cheque!" I say, my
frustration growing at Charlotte's lackadaisical attitude toward the
father of her child. "He hasn't even set foot in the nursery yet..."
"Ah, lucky that I've got you and several handsome strong men, aren't I?"
Charlotte says, perking up. "Speaking of, Krystie & Mikey will be
dropping round later tonight."
"Thanks for the warning," I giggle. "I'll get changed out of my ballet
gear before she makes me dance the entire Nutcracker, then!" After
lunch, I change out of my dance gear into a pair of black tights and a
long black skirt with a VERY high slit up one side before heading
downstairs to help Charlotte browse the internet for baby gear. Ever
since Joshua agreed to buy her house, Charlotte's financial situation
has improved dramatically- she's no longer a millionaire, but not in
danger of going bankrupt, and whilst she can't afford to throw a costume
party at the drop of a hat (I shelled out for Nikki's party last week)
she's more than able to spend a few quid on baby toys.
"Hey, mother and godmother to be!" Krystie squeaks as she arrives at our
house after dinner, greeting both myself and Charlotte with tight hugs.
"Hi Charlotte, Hi Jamie," Mikey- Krystie's boyfriend- says. "Found
something you lost." I laugh as Stuart steps out from behind Mikey and
greets me with a long kiss.
"Oh stop it!" Krystie chastises, making both myself and Stuart giggle
into each other's mouths. "And why did you change out of your dance
gear?"
"A better question would be why HAVEN'T you?" I laugh, pointing at
Krystie's long, baby pink legs.
"Tights and leotards are really comfy!" Krystie giggles. "Besides, gives
Mikey more to 'unwrap'. He's always, you know, 'better' if I make him
work for it!" I roll my eyes as Mikey grabs a generous handful of
Krystie's right buttock through her short, loose skirt. Before long, the
five of us are crashed out on Charlotte's sofas, relaxing after a long
day.
"No cameras tonight?" Mikey asks, earning a playful whack from his
girlfriend.
"I knew you only loved me for my media profile," Krystie teases,
snuggling into Mikey's chest.
"How long have you two been going out, two months?" Charlotte laughs.
"Already living in each other's pants..." Not to be outdone, I slip a hand
into Stuart's jeans pocket and snuggle into his chest, giggling as
Stuart wraps an arm around me.
"Guys, I think Charlotte's feeling a little left out," Krystie says-
though Charlotte actually looks happier than she normally does when
confronted with the blatant displays of affection the four of us are
doing. Nevertheless, Mikey and Stuart unwrap themselves from around
Krystie and myself and plop down either side of Charlotte, peppering her
with hugs and kisses.
"Affection's good," Charlotte giggles. "Helping me put together the
baby's wardrobe would be better!" The boys both sigh and laugh as
Charlotte leads them upstairs to where her Ikea-bought wardrobe lays in
pieces in the work-in-progress nursery. Even though he's been taking
testosterone for almost nine years and has a decent amount of muscles,
Stuart still has the bone structure of a woman and is still only 5' 7"-
a full eight inches shorter than Mikey- so it's Krystie's boyfriend who
does the majority of the heavy lifting whilst Stuart tackles the more
fiddly bits. In less than an hour, the wardrobe is assembled, and
Charlotte's already started moving tiny baby clothes into it.
"Why does the kid need such a big wardrobe?" Stuart laughs. "He's going
to be a boy, isn't he?"
"BOY!" Krystie, Charlotte and I all yell simultaneously at Stuart, who
simply smiles smugly in response.
"Yeah, and you don't outnumber us, isn't that right, Keith junior?"
Stuart says, crouching down beside Charlotte's swollen belly.
"He'll be on his mum's side, like all boys should!" Charlotte scolds,
giving Stuart a playful smack on the head and sending him scurrying back
to my side.
"We should probably get an early night," Stuart says, wrapping his arm
around my waist again.
"Yeah," I sigh. "Got meetings with Joshua all morning..."
"Same here," Krystie sighs. "We'd better get going, babe..."
"Mikey, before you go, can you shift the wardrobe into place, please?"
Charlotte asks as Stuart and I head back to my bedroom, and after I
dilate, we jump into bed, almost immediately finding ourselves in each
other's arms...
The alarm clock on my phone wakes us up at 7:30am, and after taking
turns in the shower (Stuart's still a bit squeamish about showering
together) I dress for the day, pulling on a sexy red bra and thong set
and applying a full face of make-up, before brushing my hair out to its
maximum volume and staring into my wardrobe for an outfit to wear.
"You look sexy in anything," Stuart whispers, grabbing my bare buttock
and giving me a kiss on my neck.
"It's SOPHISTICATED I'm looking for today," I inform my boyfriend, who
dresses himself in a very smart suit, complete with a perfectly-knotted
necktie. After a few more minutes' deliberation, I pick out a slinky
dress in a light grey. The dress is sleeveless, knee-length and very
form-fitting, showing off my feminine curves perfectly. I initially pair
the dress with a pair of light black hold-ups, before a wicked smile
creeps across my face and I swap the stockings for a pair of light,
metallic pink tights.
"So much for 'sophisticated'," Stuart teases as I lower the skirt of the
dress over my brightly-coloured legs.
"I'll wear black shoes then," I say, sticking my tongue out at the sexy
man as I attach a pair of 4" stiletto pumps to my feet, fastening the
thin ankle straps before touching up my nail polish and lightly
spritzing myself with some new perfume.
"SEXY WOMAN," Stuart says, taking me in his arms and dipping me
backwards as he plants a long, deep kiss on my scarlet lips.
"Don't mess up my lipstick!" I chastise the man as he wraps his arms
around my waist, preventing me from reaching my make-up table. After
eventually fixing my make-up and grabbing my handbag, Stuart and I head
down to his car, encountering Krystie and Mikey arriving in his car.
"LOVE that dress!" Krystie giggles, greeting myself and Stuart with big
hugs.
"LOVE your suit!" I gush as Krystie does a twirl in her extra-short pink
skirt suit. "Think I've got one like that myself, what make is it?"
"Bespoke, naturally," Krystie boasts. "I'll give you the tailors address
later. More importantly, where DID you get those tights?"
"The internet, naturally," I giggle.
"GIRLS!" Mikey and Stuart both yell, making Krystie and I double over in
fits of giggles.
"GIRLS RULE!" Krystie and I retort as we get in Stuart's car, Krystie
giving her boyfriend a long kiss as we depart. A confused look passes
over my face as I stare into the car's door mirror at the image of
Krystie's boyfriend disappearing into Charlotte's house.
"What's Mikey doing?" I ask the tall, pink-clad girl.
"Charlotte asked him if he could help out some more," Krystie says
nonchalantly. "He's not got anything on until next week, I said he'd be
happy to help out."
"Hmm, okay," I say, but deep inside I have a VERY strange feeling about
the idea of Charlotte alone in her house with another woman's boyfriend...
"Jamie!" Joshua greets me with a hug as I arrive at his vast office.
"Stuart! Krystie! My superstar searching squad! Come on in!" The three
of us smile happily as we follow Joshua up to his office, where we spend
the next two hours discussing the numerous women who have auditioned,
with Krystie offering her expert opinion on their dancing abilities,
Stuart on their vocal skills and me on their overall 'look'. By the end
of the meeting, all four of us- even the usually permanently-excited
Joshua- are exhausted and in desperate need of some lunch.
"You three go, get your energy back!" Joshua laughs, dismissing myself,
Krystie and Stuart. "And give my love to Michael Dawson!"
"I think he's still recovering from the last time!" Krystie jokes,
making Joshua bellow his trademark booming laugh before heading back
into his office.
"Where do you want to go for lunch?" Krystie asks.
"Umm, aren't we going to head home?" I ask, confused as to how Krystie
could be so blas? about her boyfriend being alone with another woman-
especially a woman with as much 'form' as Charlotte.
"There's a new Turkish place that just opened, it's about a mile from
here," Krystie says. "REALLY want to check it out."
"Turkish? Really?" I ask as we get into Stuart's car.
"It's one of very few nationalities that don't VIOLENTLY disagree with
me," Krystie laughs. "Stu, I'll give you the post code."
"Umm, okay, I guess," I say, still unsure how Krystie can trust
Charlotte so implicitly. If it were Stuart in Mikey's position... he may
not be Charlotte's 'type' but she has been single for a long time...
After lunch, Stuart drops Krystie at her dance studio before driving the
two of us back to Charlotte's house to find her deep in a gossip session
with Mary (and, technically, Kristina-Leigh).
"Hey, super cute god-daughter!" I say to the giggling infant, who laughs
happily in my face.
"Hey, super super cute god-daughter!" Stuart says in a soft, almost
feminine voice I've only heard him use on very rare occasions.
"There you go," Mary says, handing the happy infant to her godfather,
who gently rocks her in his arms. "I would say 'be careful' but sure
you've cuddled her enough to know that already!"
"For someone who insists that he's a tough, butch guy, Stuart really is
very, very good with babies!" Charlotte teases, but my boyfriend simply
keeps grinning.
"Maybe it's just hard-wired, something hormones can't overwrite," Stuart
laughs, before giving Kristina-Leigh a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"Nah, it's not genetic," I say, taking the tiny infant from Stuart and
gently cuddling her as she giggles contentedly. "You're just a big softy
when it comes to babies, that's all!"
"You're going to be a great father one day," Charlotte says.
"Kind of missing a few 'important parts' you need to be a father,"
Stuart sighs sadly as I hand Kristina-Leigh back to him. "Has Mikey
gone?"
"Yeah, he just stuck around to shift a few things around," Charlotte
says, setting off yet more alarm bells in my head. "Is he getting on
well with the other boys?"
"Yep," Stuart says happily. "Not as well as he's getting on with Krys,
obviously!"
"And how's this band of yours coming along?" Mary asks, taking Kristina-
Leigh back from my arms.
"It's getting there," Stuart says. "It's been in the works for ages now,
no sense in rushing it..." I can't help but smile as the gossip session
shifts into full gear, with Stuart looking at home chatting with us as
any of us girls- though as the discussion is mostly about work- HIS
work- that is to be expected. Mary and Kristina-Leigh leave after a
while, leaving the three of us alone on our sofas. Stuart and I
eventually opt for an early night, but as I head to bed, I can't help
but overhear Charlotte talking on the phone to Krystie- and asking to
speak to Mikey as well...
My alarm wakes me as always at 7:30am, but as I have the entire day
free, I switch the alarm off and try to get back to sleep, only to be
thwarted when Stuart unwraps his arms from my waist and pads to the
shower.
"Where you going this early?" I moan.
"Golf with your dad," Stuart laughs. "Forgotten already?"
"Ugh," I sigh. "Have fun, babe." As Stuart cleanses his body under the
hot water, I roll over and quickly fall back asleep, only to be woken
mere minutes later by Stuart giving be a goodbye kiss on the lips.
"Got anything exciting planned for today?" Stuart asks. "Well, as
exciting as it gets without me around, anyway..."
"Funny man," I laugh. "Nah, probably just catching up on my blog, my
columns..."
"Cheeky," Stuart says, earning himself a firm pat on the backside as he
leaves. I get up myself about half an hour later after failing to get
back to sleep, and after dilating and showering, I apply a light layer
of make-up and pull on a comfortable long-sleeved navy blue bodysuit,
nude tights and a cream longer than knee length pencil skirt. With my
hair tied back into a tight ponytail and 4" stiletto heels on my feet,
the look is sexier than it needs to be for a day in front of my laptop,
but they're my clothes, and I'm entitled to wear what I want, when I
want.
"Morning, sexy!" Charlotte teases as I sit down at the breakfast table.
"Just got my one and only coffee of the day brewing, fancy a cup?"
"Please," I say, before taking a deep breath. "Charlotte... Yesterday,
Mikey..."
"Yes?" Charlotte asks.
"What- what did he do?" I ask, barely disguising my concern.
"He put together a mobile for Keith junior," Charlotte replies in a
nonplussed voice. "Why do you ask?"
"Oh- nothing," I say. "It's just- he seems to be spending a lot of time
here for someone not technically involved in the kid's life, that's
all..."
"Well his two godfathers are both extremely busy most of the time,"
Charlotte sighs. "Neither are really good at physical stuff, one due to
age, one due to- well, you should know better than anyone." I nod at
Charlotte's delicate phrasing of Stuart's 'condition'. "And god knows
Keith junior's ACTUAL father is nowhere to be seen..." I sigh- Charlotte
is, of course, correct.
"And it's not like Mikey minds," Charlotte says. "Though he did cut his
finger pretty badly putting together that mobile..."
"Isn't he a session guitarist?" I ask. "Doesn't he, you know, need his
fingers in one piece to do that?"
"Yeah, though he said it'll be healed before his next gig," Charlotte
says.
"Yeah, but still..." I argue. "It shouldn't be on him to do all the work..."
"Jamie..." Charlotte says. "What- what are you planning? I know that
look..."
An hour later, I find myself stood outside the same door I stood in
front of on Boxing Day, when I made the decision that would change my
life. The only difference is that today, it's not MY life I'm hoping to
change...
"Jamie?" Keith's mother asks. "Keith's not here, he's at university..."
His studies would explain SOME of his unavailability to look after the
mother of his child, but it doesn't explain why he's been absent for a
whole two months.
"That's okay," I say. "I can catch him by telephone."
"That's not a good idea," Keith's mother says. "I can let him know you
stopped by, get him to call you when he's ready. Is it about Charlotte?"
"It's about his son," I say in a tone that's more aggressive than I was
aiming for. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's just- Ugh, I'm hardly in a
position to criticise..."
"He isn't being enough of a dad," Mrs Hartley says in a sad voice.
"I didn't want to be the one who said it," I whisper.
"You have to understand," Keith's mother says, "Keith was DEVASTATED
when Charlotte cheated on him, and ever since you- at Christmas- he
really hasn't been the same since."
"Oh, I understand," I say. "But it's not about him, or me, or even
Charlotte... It's about his kid. Surely you're looking forward to being
grandparents, you and your husband?"
"More than anything," Mrs Hartley says. "But first and foremost, we're
still parents... We have to look out for Keith first, above everything
else."
"Even above his own child?" I ask, but Mrs Hartley simply shakes her
head in response.
"I'll let him know you called," Keith's mother says, though I can tell
from the tone of her voice that she really means 'get lost'. I simply
nod and get back in my car, ready to head home having accomplished
nothing from my trip. As I pull into Charlotte's driveway, I'm surprised
by the presence of a dark blue Transit Van in front of the house, until
I remember exactly who the car belongs to.
"Mikey?" I whisper to myself. "Oh god, Charlotte, what have you done..."
After switching off my engine I hurry into the house, my heart sinking
and my head racing when I hear loud banging noises coming from the top
of the stairs. I take off my heels and run up the stairs in my stocking
feet, quickly locating the source of the banging- the new nursery.
Fearing the worst, I open the door... And discover Mikey assembling a
chest of drawers, with Charlotte watching intently- and both are fully
clothed.
"Hey Jay!" Charlotte giggles.
"Hey," I say, slightly stunned by the sight- and my fears being
completely groundless.
"Hi Jamie," Mikey says.
"Hi," I say. "Are you okay doing that with your finger?"
"He's a damn sight better than you with your nails!" Charlotte giggles.
"Honestly, it's fine," Mikey says. "Actually I kinda enjoy it, always
loved DIY, putting stuff together... Even built my own guitar once."
"Stuart's not exactly the handiest guy in the world," I laugh as Mikey
continues his work. "Think stringing a guitar is about his limit."
"Oh, but he more than makes up for it in other ways," Charlotte giggles.
"Though I do wish I was able to name THREE godfathers for Keith junior..."
Mikey laughs embarrassedly as he continues about his handiwork,
eventually finishing half an hour later and receiving a well-earned
round of applause from both myself and Charlotte.
"Marvellous!" Charlotte says, inspecting the new piece of furniture.
"Come on downstairs, let me make you some coffee."
"I've really got to get going in a bit," Mikey says. "Got to pick
Krystie up..."
"To bring her back here, I hope?" Charlotte asks.
"Of course," Mikey laughs. "Best coffee bar in London!" Charlotte grins
happily as Mikey heads off in his van.
"You thought I was having it off with him, didn't you?" Charlotte asks,
not even turning her head to look at me.
"Wha- how could you-" I splutter, before sighing heavily. "Yes..."
"I doubt you were the only one," Charlotte giggles. "Doubt Mikey would
go for a 5' 5" whale, though..."
"'Pregnancy' doesn't equal 'whale'!" I argue, giving Charlotte a quick
hug. "Three months after your kid's born, you'll be the sexiest of all
us, once again."
"Sexiest but still single," Charlotte sighs. "I know my reputation, I
know I'm going to have to earn trust again... May as well get on with that
sooner rather than later!" I giggle with Charlotte as we head back
inside and quickly descend into one of our old-fashioned one on one
gossiping sessions. The session comes to an abrupt end when Stuart
arrives just over an hour and a half later- though as this means I get
to cuddle up to him on the sofa, I don't mind too much! Mikey returns a
short while afterward with Krystie clinging tightly to his back, and
every time the couple engage in a public display of affection, I find
myself glancing over at Charlotte to see if she is upset by it in any
way- but she giggles happily with every single kiss or cuddle the two
share.
"Keep that up and soon there'll be THREE mothers in the Angels!"
Charlotte teases as Krystie and Mikey cuddle each other yet again.
"No chance!" Krystie argues. "Besides, it's Viks's turn after you, then-
" Krystie abruptly pauses as she points over at me. "S-sorry Jamie,
sometimes I forget..."
"Eh, whatever, I promise I'll adopt before you give birth!" I tease,
making Krystie giggle happily.
"Angels: The Next Generation!" Stuart quips, making everyone in the
living room giggle happily. We spend the whole evening laughing and
gossiping, before Krystie and Mikey depart just after 9pm. Before they
go, however, Krystie takes me to one side to talk privately.
"You spotted what I did, didn't you?" Krystie asks bluntly. I feign
innocence at first, before realising that Krystie knows me far too well.
"Yes..." I sigh. "My question is: Why, exactly?"
"I really, really like Mikey," Krystie sighs happily. "But I need to
know that I can TRUST him. Charlotte, too... I figure if they were going
to mess around, better to know that now rather than later when the
relationship's been going on a while and it'd hurt more..." I lean forward
and give Krystie a big hug, realising that I'm guilty of the exact same
behaviour she was testing Mikey for.
"You've got a keeper," I giggle. "He really is working hard in the
nursery... Make sure you get a ring put on it before too long!"
"One step at a time!" Krystie teases as she heads out to Mikey's van.
"And look who's talking!" I giggle as I wave the happy couple off,
before sighing happily as Stuart comes outside and wraps a strong arm
around my waist.
"What was THAT about?" Stuart asks.
"Oh, nothing," I say with a smile. "Come on, time for bed!"
"It's only 9:30," Stuart argues. "I'm not sleepy, neither of us have
work tomorrow..." Stuart's voice trails off as he realises exactly what I
mean by 'bed'.
Less than 30 minutes later, the two of us are laid in bed, our naked
bodies glistening with a sweet-smelling sheen of sweat.
"I love you so much," Stuart whispers in my ears as he wraps his arms
around me. I take a deep breath, realising that I need to tell Stuart
what I did earlier today.
"Stuart," I say softly, "earlier today, I- I went to see Keith..." Stuart
abruptly releases me from his cuddle, before taking two deep breaths of
his own.
"I'm guessing when you say 'see' you just mean see and not, well,
'see'," Stuart says. "Like, as in, how much of him did you 'see'?"
"I went round to bollock him for not helping more with the kid," I
explain. "And he wasn't even there, anyway, I only spoke to his mum, who
said he'd pass on a message and get him to call me."
"...And has he?" Stuart asks, to which I sadly shake my head.
"Didn't really expect him to," I sigh. "But doesn't it strike you as odd
that you and Mikey are here every day helping out, but the child's
actual father is nowhere to be seen?"
"He's probably still hurting from losing Charlotte," Stuart sighs. "And
losing you, for that matter... Still no excuse, though."
"No, it isn't," I mutter.
"He's lost me, too- well, more that I've lost him," Stuart sighs. "You
know how close we used to be, now I barely even see the guy, it's like
we were never friends to begin with..."
"That sucks," I sigh. "I remember when I fell out with Charlotte, some
days I'd have given anything for her to be my BFF again... And now she is,
so there's no reason you and Keith can't make up!"
"Yeah, you and Charlotte didn't fight over a girl, though," Stuart says,
before letting out a frustrated moan. "Ugh, by which I of course mean
that you shouldn't blame yourself for me and Keith being macho idiots-"
"Oh, believe me, I don't!" I laugh, silencing Stuart with a kiss. "Get
some sleep, SEXY macho idiot!" Stuart chuckles and wraps his arms around
me again, and we're both quickly asleep, waking the following morning at
7:30am feeling more contented than we've been in a long while.
"Come on," Stuart urges as he unwraps himself from around me and heads
into the shower. "Dilate, then shower, then dress quick, you're not
going to be late for another lesson!"
"Yes, MISTER Milton," I say in a mock-schoolgirl voice. After dilating
and showering, I dress in a comfortable black bra and thong set,
followed by a short denim skirt, ribbed black tights and a warm sweater.
I'm not planning on going anywhere today, so I tie my hair back into a
very plain ponytail, but I (of course) apply a light layer of makeup.
"Right, get yourself seated," Stuart orders, setting up a small stool in
front of a keyboard he'd bought for me last month. After hearing Stuart
play all his instruments, I explained that I'd always wanted to learn
how to play the piano, and whilst Stuart's not a teacher, he agreed to
give me lessons- which consist of about 25% actual teaching and about
75% teasing or trying to get into my pants. And yes, most of the time I
let him into my pants.
On this occasion, however, last night's discussion of Keith has somewhat
sapped Stuart's libido, so my fingers remain firmly on the keyboard, as
does his- and by the end of the lesson an hour later, I feel I've
actually started to get the hang of the complicated instrument.
"You're getting really good at this!" Stuart says proudly as he packs
away the instrument. "Certainly better than I am at golf..."
"Oh yes," I say happily. "How was the big boy's day out, anyway?"
"Fun, albeit frustrating," Stuart laughs. "Your dad's practically semi-
pro, whilst I seemed to end up in the sand on virtually every hole..."
"First time playing?" I ask.
"First time in a while," Stuart says. "Your dad said he once took you
out for a game, though?"
"Yeah, when I was fifteen," I laugh at the memory. "Doubt I was any
better than you were..."
"Yep, that's what your dad said," Stuart teases, making me playfully
whack him with a pillow.
"I actually kinda wish I'd gone with you," I confess. "I mean, you and
dad are getting so close... I'm kinda jealous, you know? I mean, it sounds
silly, he IS my dad and always will be..."
"No, I get it," Stuart says. "You and he were never really father and
son because you were never really his son... I reckon Mark's trying to
make up for that with me instead of you, and of course that wouldn't
work with my parents as they already have two other girls..."
"Yeah," I sigh. "But it'd be nice to, you know, do some father-daughter
things once in a while..." A brief pause fills the room as neither of us
know how to respond to what I'd just said.
"So, we've got the whole day free..." Stuart says to end the pause. "I
could always teach you the guitar if you'd like?"
"One instrument at a time!" I giggle, before taking a deep breath. "Stu...
Do you know what days Keith has free? As study days?" Stuart bristles at
the mention of his former best friend, but answers anyway.
"Tuesdays and Thursdays," Stuart says. "Why?"
"Today's Thursday, so he'll be at home," I say. "I want... I want to try
to talk to him again, to get him to step up."
"I'm coming with you," Stuart instantly says. "Hey, I'm the kid's
godparent too, we've got to provide a united front, I-"
"That'd be good," I say. I of course know the REAL reason Stuart wants
to come along as well, and I can't say I blame him one bit. I want
Stuart to trust me- though just like Krystie and Mikey, I know I have to
earn that trust back again. After I apply a little more make-up and
repair my nail polish, I head with Stuart down to his car. Charlotte has
work today so left early with Nikki, so there's no problem with leaving
her on her own because, of course, she won't be home alone.
We arrive at Keith's house just over half an hour later to discover his
car parked in his driveway. Taking a deep breath, I ring the doorbell,
gulping as the man himself opens the door.
"What do you two want?" Keith asks with an air of anger in his voice.
"We just want to talk," I say, softening my voice even more than usual
in an attempt to calm Keith down.
"About what?" Keith asks.
"About your son," I say, causing Keith's defensive demeanour to all but
vanish.
"There's nothing more to be said," Keith mumbles. "I said I'd support
the child and I will. End of discussion."
"The child needs his father!" I plead, but Keith simply shakes his head.
"I'm not fit to be a father," Keith moans self-pityingly.
"Everyone who finds themselves in your position says that," Stuart says
softly. "You owe it to your son to at least TRY."
"I can't be in the same house as HER," Keith moans. "It still hurts too
much."
"HER happens to be the mother of your child," I argue. "You'll have to
interact with her sooner or later." Much to my frustration, Keith simply
shakes his head.
"It's even worse with you two living there as well," Keith sighs. "That
entire house is a reminder of everything that's been taken away from
me."
"You need to man up," Stuart says bluntly, earning a truly foul stare
from Keith.
"The hell do YOU know about 'manning up'?" Keith snorts, earning himself
an evil stare from my boyfriend.
"BOYS!" I shout in a much angrier voice than I usually use when I say
that word. "Not the time, not the place!"
"Have you even been back to Charlotte's since Christmas?" Stuart asks,
and Keith simply shakes his head in response.
"Once the child is born, then I will," Keith says. "If you've got me
anything for my birthday tomorrow, don't bother giving it to me." Keith
slams the door in our face before we have a chance to argue further. I
ring the bell again and again, but neither Keith nor anyone else in the
household answers it.
"Jamie," Stuart says softly, leading me away from Keith's house. "We
should give him some time."
"He's had over six months," I spit. "How much more time does he fucking
well need?"
"Let's- let's just go home," Stuart sighs as we get in his car and
drive away. When we arrive home, my heart sinks when I find Charlotte in
her living room, wrapping presents with 'happy birthday' written on
them.
"Oh god, Charlie," I sigh, sitting down next to my BFF. "Please tell me
they're not for Keith..."
"Know anyone else who has a birthday coming up soon?" Charlotte asks.
"Um, March 2nd..." Stuart says feebly, raising his hand before a stern
stare from me convinces him to make himself scarce.
"I bought these ages ago," Charlotte sighs, continuing her gift wrapping
unabated. "Saved them especially for his 24th..."
"I got the additional wrapping paper you wanted," Nikki calls from
upstairs, raising my ire. After making sure Charlotte's okay, I
intercept my prot?g? before she can re-enter the living room.
"Why did you leave her by herself?" I hiss, barely containing my anger.
"Moreover, why are you actually enabling this?"
"Um, uh," Nikki splutters, almost dropping the tubes of wrapping paper
in her arms. "She- she asked me to help- I'm sorry, I didn't-"
"Oh- never mind, it's not your fault," I sigh. "I'm sorry Nikki, it's
just- Keith's kinda a sore spot for her right now..."
"She was talking about him a lot on the drive to the studio," Nikki
sighs. "I didn't want to say anything- hell, what is there I CAN say?"
"...Never mind," I sigh, leading Nikki back into the living room where she
hands the tubes over to Charlotte.
"How are you planning on getting these gifts to Keith?" I ask my BFF.
"Nikki'll drop me round tomorrow," Charlotte says, making me shoot
another disapproving stare at my still-upset prot?g?.
"It's not a good idea for you and Keith to see each other, not so soon,"
I sigh.
"Well he's obviously not going to come here to pick them up," Charlotte
sighs. "Got to get them to him somehow..."
"Charlie..." I say cautiously. "Me and Stuart... We just came from Keith's,
he told us specifically that he doesn't want us to drop any presents
round to him tomorrow. I'm sorry." Charlotte pauses at the news, as
though processing the information, before angrily stabbing her scissors
into the expensive cushion beside her.
"How?" Charlotte snaps, before starting to sob. "How can he hate me THAT
much?" Instinctively, I reach in to give Charlotte a big hug- even
though she's still holding her scissors.
"FUCKING MEN!" Charlotte wails. I the corner of my eyes, I see Stuart
open his mouth to respond, but a quick shake of the head from me
convinces him not to do so. I hold Charlotte in my arms for the next ten
minutes as she cries herself out, eventually calming down enough to
speak coherently.
"I mean," Charlotte sniffs. "It's not like I expect him to take me back
or anything, but I thought we could at least be friends..."
"Testosterone makes people stupid," Nikki says. Again I have to advise
Stuart against interjecting, though the smile on his face tells me that
under the circumstances, he doesn't mind his adopted gender being run
down.
"All men should be forced to see things from a woman's perspective at
least once in their lives," Charlotte spits, before smiling a few
seconds later as Stuart returns from the kitchen, handing her a small
tub of ice cream. "See? It worked for Stuart, the only REAL man I know!"
"Taking that as a compliment!" Stuart giggles as he also hands myself
and Nikki ice cream before sitting down with a tub of his own.
"I don't know what I expected, really," Charlotte sighs as the ice cream
cools her temper. "It's just- in the past I made such a fuss of him on
his birthday, it just seems wrong that I now completely ignore it..."
"That's a break-up for you," I sigh, making Charlotte sadly rest her
head on my shoulder.
"He should at least let me send him ONE present," Charlotte sighs.
"There's something I got specially... Something I KNOW he'll love."
"We'll drop it round to him," Stuart immediately offers, making me stare
at him quizzically. "What? We're going through the audition tapes faster
than expected, we'll have plenty of time to spare tomorrow. Besides... I
kinda got him a present too that I want to drop off."
"You'd do that for me?" Charlotte asks.
"For you AND my godson," Stuart says with a warm smile.
"I need to get going," Nikki sighs. "Promised Sarah I'd pick her up from
college... You sure you'll be alright?"
"I'll be fine, you go!" Charlotte giggles.
"Will you be okay tonight?" I ask cautiously. "Because we can always
stay home tonight..."
"Absolutely," Stuart concurs, sitting down next to me and gripping my
hand supportively.
"Oh, you guys," Charlotte says, tears of happiness forming in her eyes.
"But you had a big date planned tonight..."
"We'll re-plan it," Stuart shrugs, and I nod in agreement.
"I couldn't ask you to do that, not for me..." Charlotte whispers
emotionally.
"You're not asking, we're offering!" I giggle.
"We're INSISTING," Stuart laughs, making Charlotte weep openly.
"I don't deserve friends as good as you," Charlotte blubs, giving us
both a tight hug. "You can't cancel dates every time I'm feeling a
little down, though... I'll call Hannah, Dannii, anyone who's free and
single, we'll have a onesie party. You enjoy your night out!" I look
across to Stuart, who merely shrugs.
"Only if you're one million per cent sure," Stuart says.
"Already texting the twin towers," Charlotte giggles, using her own pet
nickname for the 5' 9" Hannah and the 5' 11.5" Dannii. "Consider
yourself off the hook, if- and ONLY if- you let me help you get ready
for your date!"
"Deal!" I giggle happily as Stuart and I return Charlotte's earlier hug.
A short while later, I find myself sat in front of Charlotte's dresser,
having changed from my comfortable underwear into a sexy midnight blue
lacy bra and thong set with a matching suspender belt, attached to which
are two sheer seamed stockings.
"God, this brings back memories," Charlotte giggles. "The very first
days you used to live here, I'd do your hair and make-up... Is it- is it
bad that I- oh god, I can't believe I'm actually thinking this- is it
bad that I kinda want Keith junior... To grow up like you?" I pause as
Charlotte asks me this obviously personal question.
"Only if it's what he truly wants," I say. "Then again, I didn't know
that this was what I wanted until I was nineteen..."
"I'm not going to hide it from him," Charlotte says as she treats my
long blonde hair with strong-smelling hairspray. "Who you really are,
who Stuart or Nikki really are or any other transgendered friends we
make in the future. He's going to grow up knowing that there's
absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to be the opposite gender." I grin
at Charlotte's compliment, but deep down, I know what her TRUE concern
is.
"Just because you're a gorgeous girly girl," I say, "it doesn't mean
that you'd have less to teach a boy."
"Yeah..." Charlotte sighs. "But I'm never going to be sat in front of a
mirror doing my daughter's hair, am I?"
"Yes you are!" I insist. "Just because your first child is a boy,
doesn't mean your second will be! And before you say anything, yes you
WILL find a partner, you WILL have a full family in the future. You're
one of the most beautiful and amazing women in the whole world. I
guarantee it."
"I guess," Charlotte sighs. "I could always settle for being godmother
to yours & Stuart's daughter, if you choose to adopt..."
"If we ever get that far," I laugh.
"Says the woman getting tarted up to extreme levels for a date with
him!" Charlotte teases. "Seriously Jay, you HAVE to keep hold of him.
Don't- don't make the same mistake I did..."
"Never," I whisper. "If anything... The way Keith's acting, it just proves
to me that I made the right choice. And the sex isn't THAT bad once you
get used to it- Stuart certainly knows what he's doing 'down there'!"
Charlotte and I share a naughty giggle as I pull on my dress, a short,
tight dress in a nearly black shade of blue with a thin straps and a
very low cut d?colletage. After slipping my feet into a pair of 4"
heeled stilettos, repainting my nails to match the dress and grabbing my
handbag, I do a twirl for Charlotte, who wolf whistles approvingly.
"Attention London!" Charlotte giggles. "The personification of sex is
here, and her name is Jamie-Lee Burke!" I giggle excitedly as I step out
onto the landing and come face to face with Stuart, who looks DAMNED
sexy in his black trousers and pristine white shirt- though the illusion
of cool sexiness fails slightly when his jaw drops open as his eyes
slowly pan up my body, drinking in every millimetre of my image.
"Let me get that for you," I say, walking over to my boyfriend and
gently closing his mouth, before giving that same body part a long kiss.
"You look amazing," Stuart whispers. "I mean, you always do, but-" I
giggle and silence Stuart with yet another kiss, before looking back at
Charlotte, who simply nods approvingly.
"We won't stay out late," Stuart says to my BFF, who giggles as we walk
down the stairs, hand-in-hand, greeting the arriving Hannah & Dannii on
our way out.
"Hubba hubba!" Dannii and Hannah simultaneously coo as we get into
Stuart's car.
"Thank you, ladies!" Stuart teases, before we drive away to the posh
restaurant we've booked for the night. As per usual, we eat quickly and
skip dessert, heading straight home after the meal where we quietly- so
as not to disturb Charlotte, Hannah or Dannii- head up to my bedroom,
where our clothes swiftly find their way to the floor as Stuart and I
collapse back on my bed, our bodies entwined in a passionate embrace...
An hour later, the two of us are laid back in bed, our bodies completely
drained from our 'exertions'.
"I love you so much," Stuart says, wrapping his arms around my waist and
burying his face in my neck.
"I love you too," I sigh, happily relaxing into Stuart's cuddle. "Stu...
Have you really got a gift for Keith?"
"...No," Stuart confesses. "I got him a card. Guess I could always post
that..."
"Why did you tell Charlotte that you had a present, then?" I ask.
"Isn't it obvious?" Stuart asks me.
"...Blindingly obvious," I sigh. "She still loves him, and he obviously
still lover her..."
"He'll never admit it, of course," Stuart sighs. "He was always the
alpha male, now he's the alpha male without an alpha female..."
"We can go over this tomorrow," I sigh, rolling over into a comfortable
sleeping position. "With HIM. Get some sleep, babe."
"Night, gorgeous," Stuart says, settling down with his arms still
wrapped around me." When I wake up the following morning, I'm
momentarily confused to find myself alone under the sheets, though my
confusion disappears when I hear my boyfriend's deep, sexy voice coming
from the end of the bed.
"Yes mum," Stuart sighs into the phone. "I know it's been a while since
I've been back home... No, I've not permanently moved out... Charlotte's
just been feeling a bit low, Jamie and I need to help her out... I don't
recall you giving Emma this hard a time when she moved out... No, as I
said, I'm NOT moving out..." I giggle happily as Stuart continues arguing
with his mother, crawling along the bed and encircling his naked body
from behind.
"I've got to go now," Stuart chuckles into his phone. "Yes, yes she is.
See you later mum. Love to you, dad and Becca."
"Aww," I coo as I cuddle Stuart close to me. "Momma's BOY!"
"Heh," Stuart sighs. "Guess I'm going to have to sleep there tonight
just to get her off my back- eh, pun not intended considering where you
currently are!"
"Hehe," I giggle as I press myself harder into Stuart's narrow back.
"You'll be on one of your girls' nights outs anyway," Stuart reasons.
"Want me to shower first whilst you dilate?"
"Please," I say, taking the thick orange tube from my nightstand drawer.
After I dilate and shower, I pull on a comfortable, sleeveless thong
bodysuit, followed by a pair of black tights and a short, long sleeved
purple dress. I slip my feet into ankle booties with a 2.5 inch heel-
just enough to put me level with Stuart's height- before grabbing my bag
and heading downstairs, hand in hand with the man I love (who is of
course just wearing a pair of comfortable jeans and a dark blue
sweatshirt).
"Morning!" Charlotte greets us with a tired smile. "Coffee's already on
the go."
"Do I smell bacon?" Stuart asks, his eyes lighting up as he sits down.
"Yes," Charlotte chuckles, patting her belly. "This little one needs his
protein..."
"Here I was thinking all supermodels were devout vegans," Stuart laughs.
"Not really practical for two reasons," Charlotte giggles. "One, as I
said, this little one needs his protein, and two... I love eating meat!"
"Cheeky," I retort, earning a playful shove from the mother-to-be. After
finishing breakfast, Stuart and I watch TV with Charlotte for an hour
before Mary arrives with Kristina-Leigh, which we take as our cue to
leave (but not before we both demand a cuddle from our goddaughter!).
Charlotte waves us off as we drive away- fully aware of precisely where
we're going, and why.
My hand actually shakes as I ring the doorbell of Keith's vast house,
and I take a deep breath when the birthday boy himself answers.
"Happy birthday, Keith," I whisper to the tall man, who simply shakes
his head- and from his facial expression, I can tell he hasn't had a
very happy birthday so far.
"I told you both to stay away," Keith moans, readying himself to slam
the door in our faces.
"Wait!" I say, holding the door open. "You said you didn't want any
presents from us or from Charlotte-"
"-And I still don't!" Keith snaps.
"BUT!" I snap. "You need to understand that you've been given the
greatest gift of all. A gift Stuart and I can never have- admittedly by
choice, but still..." I hand Keith a small, carefully wrapped parcel,
forcing it into his