#phff-authentic

The knocks that sounded at the door went unanswered and when the door opened, the three men's, who were stood behind it, questioned were quickly answered at the sight that greeted them. Mike quickly ushered the other two out of the room as they headed back down to the lounge. An array of drinks greeted them, each helping themselves, as they took a seat and simultaneously released a sigh.

"I suppose we shouldn't have expected anything different," William joked, sipping on his glass as s smile grew on his face, thinking back on the image he had just seem.

"They're almost as bad as the young ones,"

"At least they reached the bedroom first," Mike added, letting out a chuckle.

Kimberly woke with a startle, her eyes scanning around an unfamiliar room before they landed on the bodies that were beside her. Letting out a chuckle as she realised where she was, she reached her arms above her head stretching as she yawned, quickly glancing outside to see that the sun had sunk way below the horizon. Standing up, she quickly checked the time on her phone noting it was out of battering before throwing it back into her bag and grabbing a jacket out her bags and pulling it on before leaving the room as silently as possible. Trying to remember her way to the entrance, Kimberly trekked through the many hallways finding a clock on the wall notifying her of the late hour. Shaking her head at herself, she pushed open the door they had entered through and stepped outside. The cool of the evening hit her warm cheek harshly, but ultimately calmed her down. She couldn’t quite believe where she was and not that she wasn’t grateful for the opportunity wished she was home. She didn’t feel entirely settled here and even though the other ladies had done nothing but ensure that she was comfortable before the day had arrived and earlier that morning. She felt like an outside amongst them all.

The sound of footsteps shook her out of her thoughts, as she tightened the jacket around her and turned slowly to face the other person up at this time of night. The same face she’d become accustomed to seeing in real life, rather than plastered on her television or the morning newspaper, stood by the door. Seemingly dressed in checkered pyjamas and light jacket that wasn’t zipped up all the way.

“Is everything alright?” He questioned softly, not moving from his position as he glanced over at her. Kimberly gave a hesitant nod and a quick smile before turning away from his gaze feeling overwhelmed all of a sudden. Harry said nothing more, just slowly made his way over to her side as they both glanced out at the dark expanse in front of them, lit up ever so slightly with the few stars that weren’t covered by the clouds.

“It’s so amazing, you know?” She muttered, shattering the silence that had built around them. Hearing no response, she turned to see a confused look on his face, smiling gently before going on to explain, “That you can do stuff like this. I know you have responsibilities but when you get to relax...you relax in style.” A chuckle followed her words as Harry crossed his own arms across his body.

“Thank Zara, goodness I’d probably still be in London if it wasn’t for her.”

“You and me both.” She agreed with a smile, turning to look at his ever so slightly.

“Have you ever rode before Miss Kimberly?” Harry asked quickly, turning to face her with a grin on his face.

“Can’t say I have Mr Henry.” She replied, giving him a view of her teeth as she smiled back at him. If possible Harry’s smile grew bigger and before she knew it, her hand was in his grasp as he pulled her towards the back of the house villa they were staying in. The sight of the stables entered her view as her feet were moved closer to the large building. Immediately sensing what was happening, Kim dug her heels into the ground trying to stop their movement, “Harry, stop. I’ve never been on horseback let alone at night.”

Her protests were greeted with silence as the two adults entered the stable. Letting go of her hand, Harry disappeared further into the stable and out of site. Kimberly didn’t move from her spot but rubbed her arms gently as she waited to see harry return.

The sound of movement in front of her drew her attention back to where Harry had gone to see him smiling with a black stallion on a rein. Placing a helmet onto her head, her offered her his hand after bringing the horse over to stand in front of her. Looking at his for a moment, she slowly laid her hand in his as he led his over to sit on the horse’s nose. Harry to a moment to watch as Kimberly slowly rubbed the horse’s nose before wandering down to its side and gently combing her fingers through its mane. Stepping over next to her, he placed his own hand on the horse’s saddled back before whispering,

“This was the easy bit. Now it’s up and over.”

so our royal ladies may seem a little out of character but this is my story and i wanted them to be a certain way - i hope i am not offending someone. them again who knows what our royal ladies are actually like away from the public eye??

let me know what you thought of this chapter. thank you for reading.

“I…I don’t know,” He responded, slumping into his seat as he looked over at his brother, “I just don’t want to scare her off. I don’t know if you realise but I really do like her. There’s something about that makes me feel whole and happy.”

A smile settled on William’s face, as he gently patted his brother’s shoulder in comfort,

“Oh, I know - everyone knows.” He teased with a chuckle and standing from his seat and fixing his jacket, “I’m petty sure even Dad knows.”

“Your Highnesses, Miss Stroakes has arrived.” Both boys turned to face each other, a smile growing on William’s face as Harry’s visibly paled before they nodded and approached the door leading to the lobby area. Both their eyes landed upon the young woman stood by herself, preoccupied with the photographs plastered over the walls. William gave Harry a nudge, prompting him to fix his jacket and take a hesitant step towards the girl,

“I was only young in that photo, my first time riding that was.” He said softly, watching as she jumped slightly before turning to face him with a hand pressed against her chest. A smile slowly fell onto her mouth, as he hand fell to her side once she saw Harry,

“You looked ready for the day in you little dungarees,” She commented, a giggle leaving her lips; glancing behind her to look at the photo they were talking about. Harry stepped up beside her, his hands pushed into his pockets, smiling at the photo himself before looking down at her.

“Good Morning.”

“Morning,” She responded with a smile, looking over at William, who was stood by the doorframe with a smile on his lips, “To you both. I apologise for being late, I got held up at the office,”

“Don’t worry about it. Zara and Kate aren’t entirely ready either. Let’s get your bags in the car and go meet up with them.”

“I’ll go inform them that you’ve arrived,” WIlliam said with a smile, giving a quick farewell before taking off up the stairs. Lifting up her handbag, Kimberly went to grab her small suitcase when Harry’s hand went over the handle. Looking up, she saw him smiling at him and returned the smile before following him towards the doors she had just wandered through, to see the SUV parked outside the door.  

The pair silently walked to the car, Harry loading up her suitcase before offering to take the bag hung on her arm as well.

“Thank you for coming, I know Zara can be a little overwhelming but she means well. She just really likes you I suppose,” He explained, as he put the bag down and turned to face her. A smile sat on Kimberly’s lips as she looked at him before shaking her head slightly.

“It was my pleasure, honestly. I feel just the same with her,” She answered, with a firm nod, “She’s very likeable plus between you and I…I really want to meet Mia.” The both of them let out a laugh before he offered her a hand and they headed back inside.

Arriving at a door upstairs, Harry pushed open the door before motioning for Kimberly to enter first, firmly shutting it behind them. Zara and Kate were both sat at the desk in the large office, whilst William stood by the window.

“Kimberly,” Zara exclaimed as her eyes landed on the girl by the door. She instantly rose, Kate quickly following her lead before approaching the girl and embracing her for a moment, “It’s so nice to see you again. It feels like such a long time since we last saw each other.”

“It does indeed but you’ve kept me a lot of company during the week.” She commented with a soft smile, as Kate approached and the two said their greetings.

“What do you mean ‘kept me company’?” Harry’s voice questioned, his face contorting into confusion as he tried to process the words, “You’ve not seen each other since the garden party.”

“That’s not entirely true-”

“We met up for brunch earlier this week and we’ve been speaking over the phone an awful lot too Harry, this is the technological age, get with it.” Zara explained, smiling at the girls  before linking arms with them and announcing their departure, “Mike should be done with Mia soon, we’ll be in the dining room.”

William chuckled at the women, placing a kiss on Kate’s cheek as the she walked past. Smiling at his brother, who still had a shocked expression on his face.

“Did you know?”

“Of course I did, I dropped Zara and Kate off at the cafe for it,” He said, amusement lacing his words at Harry’s reaction, “Oh come on Henry, you’re not the only one who’s going to want to spend time with her. She’s a great woman, hard-working and kind-hearted, I’m pretty sure Dad wants to invite her to afternoon tea at one point to meet Camilla.”

“Why would he want that?”

“Because it’s so obvious you like a little more than a possible business endeavour.” William stated firmly, lifting his eyebrow at his brother when he tried to respond, “No, let’s not have this conversation.” As the words left the older man’s mouth, a giggle filled the room directing both their attention towards the door frame.

Both young royals were stood in the doorway as Mike appeared behind the two with Charlotte in his arms. Mia ran straight into Harry’s arms, giving him a hug quickly being followed by George who went to his father.

“Are you excited for this weekend poppet?” Harry asked his young cousin, who nodded quickly and shifted out of his arms before running to William.

“She’s not be quiet about since we told her about it, especially since we  notified her that her favourite person in the world was invited.”

“Me?” Harry chirped, smiling at the young girl before turning back to Mike who had sat down, Charlotte on his lap.

“No Kimberly,” He said with a laugh which merged with William’s, Harry frowning at the both of them, “Something about the Great Bake Sale being her favourite thing. I mean, the girl knows her likes.”

Finally standing from the office, the men took hold of the young children, leading them out the room and down the stairs. Laughs were heard from the living room causing George and Mia to rush off in that direction. Charlotte stayed by Mike, hand tightly wrapped around his finger.

Entering the room, the sight of a beaming Mia stood in front of Kimberly met them. The young was talking animatedly, the same energy being reciprocated by the older woman.

“I think you look absolutely lovely.” She commented, giggling as Mia blushed and quickly wrapped her small arms around her in a hug before running to hide behind her mother, “And you must be George.”

The words were soft and almost whispered as she tried to coerce the young boy into greeting her. He was stood in front of Kate’s legs, his fingers in his mouth as he tried to push himself closer to his mother.

“I’m Kimberly, mummy’s friend. Nice to meet you.” Kimberly continued, but the little boy just turned away from her to face his mum, causing the three women to laugh, quickly joined by the men by the door.

“Now you met everyone else, it’s only right we introduce Charlotte.” Mike spoke up, leading Charlotte to Kimberly.  Greetings her with a kiss on the cheek before introducing her to the young girl who quickly made herself comfortable beside Kimberly.

“Shall we get a move on before the sun sets?” Zara voiced after a few moments of conversation, earning a very clear yes as the group rose and made their way to the cars parked outside the house that would take them to the countryside villa for the weekend.

°•●☆●•°

i hope this was okay. we’re getting to some serious harry/kimberly action now and i am thrilled!!

hope you enjoyed, let me know how to improve. let me know what you want to happen and where you want the story to go.

“Thank you so much for your help”.

“It is I who should thank you for all your help with my dinner after all,” He answered returning the shy smile on her face with a wide grin before it widen in realisation, “Which I’m not entirely sure what to do with all the ingredients.”

“No I don’t think you do, I don’t appear to have any paper on me, do-” She paused for a moment, biting her lip before releasing almost as quickly in fear of ruining her make up. Summoning the courage within herself to continue the sentence, she brought her hand up to swipe a wavy lock of hair that had fallen out of place, “Do you have your phone on you? I’ll  text you the recipe.”

A smile filled Harry’s face as he dug his hand into his pocket and pulled the device out unlocking it before passing it over to her, mirroring his actions, she gently took a hold of his phone as she passed her own over to him. They exchanged numbers before they were left in a short silence until the car horn went off. Turning to glare lightly at Jayne, Kimberly gave a short chuckle as she turned back to Harry who promptly pulled her into a hug, rubbing her back lightly before releasing her and muttering a soft goodbye.

“Goodbye Harry, I’ll see you around.” As she finished her sentence, she made her way to her side of the car but the sound of her voice had her turning back to the man who was still stood at the back of her car, granted more unsettled than when she had said goodbye, “Yes?” Her gentle answer seemed to calm him as his shoulders dropped slightly as the tension slowly fell out of them.

“I-I um, wanted to invite you to a garden party Nan’s having tomorrow.” He stuttered quietly, slowly taking a few steps to close the gap that had been created between them. Noting how Kimberly’s face reacted to his words and her mouth opened to respond - negatively he was sure, “I’m aware it’s late notice but Catherine would really love to see you there. She’s the one who urged me to invite you.”

Taking in a deep breath, Kimberly gave a stiff smile as his words raced around her head, trying to process them. Opening her mouth to state a response, she stumbled over her words before looking down at her feet for a moment,  choosing to ignore the eyes that were glued onto her.

“Of course, I’d love to.” She responded,  her head rising as she nodded at him. A smile flooded Harry’s face as his own mouth opened to respond but the sound of the car horn interrupted him followed by Jayne’s shout.

“Sorry to ruin the moment but we have melting ice in the back.” Before she shoved her head back into the car, prompting the two to say their goodbyes before she entered her car, giving him a wave as she drove away.

Kimberly caught Jayne up with what happened on the journey back, the blonde squealing as her friend spoke. It wasn’t until they arrived at the hall that she finally composed herself as she grabbed some of the wine and took it in, the boys taking over the minute they entered the building.

As the party drew to a close, the small group of friends sat together around one of the tables that still had an unopened bottle of champagne on it. Jayne, Kimberly and Josephine decked in their matching outfits and Richard, Daniel and Benjamin wearing their suits. Richard was cradling Kimberly to his chest as they all conversed in the quiet lull of leaving guests, who occasionally congratulated the couple before leaving.

“Guess who we ran into at the supermarket?” Jayne suddenly spoke, sitting up from her position between Josie’s legs, the redhead’s fingers slipping through the curls that had started to drop. Without giving anyone chance to answer, “Ginger Wales.” The statement caught everyone’s attention as Kimberly’s head dropped into Richard’s neck as she groaned. “And, wait for it, he invited Kimmi to a family garden party on Saturday. Tomorrow!”

“Did he Kim?” Daniel questioned, perking up from his seat and placing his flute glass on the table. A grunt came from Kim but her  head didn’t move. Jayne nodded frantically before going on to talk to the others about the party much to Kimberly’s displeasure. A groan left the girl’s mouth, causing her friends to chuckle at her for a moment as she finally sat up, shaking her at her friends.

“You guys are unbelievable.”

“Well, forgive us for being happy for you, putting yourself out there again.” Josie teased, leaning over to give her friend a pinch on the cheek with a grin on her face.

“I’ll have you know that’s not what I’m doing at all.” She responded, picking up her flute and finishing the wine that was still inside as she got up from Richard’s lap ignoring her friends calls as she began picking up the fallen balloons off the floor.

Sitting at her vanity, Kimberly’s face was scrunched up as her friends rushed around her with different products in their hands, getting her ready. When she had called them earlier that day, she hadn’t expected to be bombarded with all of them which was exactly what she found when she opened her door when they had arrived. Jayne and Josie were doing her make up, talking between themselves but never asking Kimberly herself. Richard and Daniel had decided they were going to do her hair as they came armed with different hair products and curlers which sparked fear in Kim straight away. The choking clouds of hairspray quickly filled the room as the two got to work. Adam had disappeared in her closet hunting down for something for her to wear, muttering to himself occasionally as he looked at her clothes.

All the details of the garden party had been sent to her via message at about the same time she got home last night or should she say early morning and it was only then she realised she had never messaged him the recipe she had promised to, making a note to do that before falling asleep. Being urged into her bathroom and promptly passed her outfit for the day by Adam. Carefully pulling the dress on, avoiding smearing the makeup or pulling any of the curls out, she straightened out the dress. Gently stepping into the heels lying on the floor, she stared at herself in the mirror cocking her head to the side as she looked at her friends’ handiwork. She had a light face of makeup, her eyes having the most makeup on them, making them stand out. The curls gently bordered her face, falling down her shoulder and back in seamless waves. The blue floral dress that Adam had chosen, lightly hugged her chest and flared around her thighs, the colour matching that of the heels on her feet. Smiling at her reflection, she pushed the bathroom door open, revealing herself to her friends - finally feeling up to attending the party at all.

Pulling up outside, the nerves finally began to settle inside her once again as she turned to Adam sat in the driver’s seat. Smiling reassuringly at her, he simple placed a kiss on her hand before getting out the car to open her door. Helping her out, she gave him a hug, his lips pressing against her forehead. Adam gave her a small nudge before wishing her well. Smiling back at her friend, she took in a deep breath before walking up the steps and giving her name, disappearing off inside the gates.

Stopping immediately as the large backyard scene came into view, she could feel her palms get sweating and her heart speed up. Immediately catching sight of people she had only dreamed of meeting all socialising with one another not even 5 metres in front of her. Holding her breath, she scanned around looking for Harry hoping that he’d be able to give her even the slightest bit of comfort - even though he had a way of making her feel worse than she did at the moment. Feeling her breathing deepen, her eyes widening in fear, she turn on her spot on the patio, heading straight for the gates she had just come through, hoping Adam was still there. Before she could even take a step, a hand fell on her shoulder causing her to turn around, the beaming face of the Duchess of Cambridge filling her sight, making her feel calmer instantly.

“Hello,” She greeted, gently rubbing Kimberly’s shoulder as she spoke, “Don’t look so scared, they can sense fear.” She joked, guiding the girl deeper into the crowd of people, keeping a steady conversation going at all times.

“I see Harry convinced you to come,” A chuckle leaving her mouth, as she held onto the girl’s elbow, “I’m thrilled to see you here.”

“No, thank you for inviting. Harry said you’re the reason why he asked.”

“He did, did he?” She hummed, Kimberly nodding her head before they came to a halt. Kate reached over tapping one of the men by the barbeque gently by the shoulder. Hearing a slight mumbled excuse me, the Duke turned around to face the two women, a smile lighting up his face.

“Miss Stroakes! What a pleasure to see you again.”

“The pleasure is all mine your highness,” Her words had both Cambridges shaking their head and chuckling quietly.

“Just William and Kate is alright for this occasion. Your friends warned me you’re a stickler for formalities.” William stated,  a warm smile on his face as he did so.

“Then it’s just Kimberly or any other variation of the name to you as well.” The royals smiled instantly, Kate’s smile growing if it could as she looked over Kimberly’s shoulder. Lifting her arm up and waving someone over as Kimberly got stuck in a conversation with William. It wasn’t until a figure stood behind that she turned her head away from the Duke. Turning around slowly, the younger Prince stood in front of her wearing a pair of sunglasses over his eyes.

“Take those off, there’s no sun around.” William reprimanded jokingly, as he looked at his brother.

“Look who I found trying to leave without saying goodbye.” Kate’s words had Kim’s eyes widening as she turned to face the brunette with an open mouth. The Duchess simply grinned at her in response before leading her husband back towards the barbeque.

“I apologise for them, they’re not usually like that.” Harry apologised, bringing a hand up to push the sunglasses so they sat on top of his head. Kimberly simply waved it off, saying her friends often acted the same way.

Offering her his arm, she held onto his elbow with her right hand, her left gripping onto her bag trying to keep a grip on reality as she was shown around the residence. Something about the whole thing excited her or more so something about Harry excited her, as she found her gaze falling to him rather than what she was being shown. As they emerged from the french doors, separating the garden and the house, Kate’s eyes fell on the two as they conversed at the edge of the crowd, the hand that held onto his arm never dropping not even when they sat down. A smile filled her face as she pointed William’s attention there as well.

“Would you like to meet the family?” The question caught Kimberly off guard as she choked on her drink, placing the glass down as she looked directly at the Prince. Fear laced her face, Harry could see it causing him to take action. His free hand fell onto her free hand, his thumb rubbing circles onto the back of her hand redirecting her attention. “They’ll love you. It’s only be Dad, Zara and Mike who you don’t know, they’d be thrilled.”

“I-I don’t know…I mean, I’m not really…I can’t do that.” When Harry didn’t respond, her eyes rose from their hands to his face, catching the fading dejected face before closing her eyes and speaking quietly, “Okay, I’ll do it.”

“You don’t-”

“I want to, I’ve always been a big equestrian fan, to meet Zara Tindall would be a dream come true plus I can rub meeting Mike Tindall in my brother’s face.” Laughing at what she said, Harry rose from his seat, their arms unlinking for the first time as he held a hand out to her and led her onto the grass heading for the picnic table where the aforementioned were sitting. Feeling her heart beat against her chest, she unconsciously gave Harry’s hand a squeeze receiving one back effectively calming her down slightly but missing the adoring look Harry gave her.

Zara had spotted the pair before they had reached the table, standing up and giving her cousin a hug. Letting go of Harry’s hand as she awkwardly stood off the side, watching the interaction, she spared a glance at the table, taking another deep breath.

“Where had you been? I’ve hardly seen you around today,” She stated before trailing off as her eyes fell on Kimberly, a smiled grew on her face as she moved over extending a hand to the girl, “I’m Zara, nice to meet you.”

“Kimberly, it’s wonderful to meet you too.” She responded, trying to contain her joy at the hand she held in her own. Harry’s hand rested on her lower back directing her forwards, throwing her mind into a jumble only catching the slight quiet exclamation from Zara.

“You never told me you knew Kimberly Stroakes.” As she sat down next to her husband, Harry pulling out a chair for Kimberly before taking one for himself.

“Dad this is Kimberly, Kimberly this is my dad.”

“It’s an honour to meet you, Your Highness.” She said, bowing her head slightly before looking up at the man,

“The honour’s mine young lady, I’ve heard a great deal about you.” Looking taken aback by his words, she looked over at Harry who looked heavily mortified before quickly introducing Mike and Kimberly.

“My brother is a huge fan, I know you very well. Probably too well.” The comment had the table of five laughing. Harry’s arm wrapped around Kimberly’s shoulder, giving her bare arms a little bit of warmth as the night began to creep in on them. The small group getting to know each other, the Cambridges occasionally dropping in and making an appearance before going to check that everything was running smoothly.

“It’s been great meeting you, Kimberly, I refrained from saying this earlier but I love hummingbird.”

“She does, she loves everything about it.” Mike pitched in, eliciting a chuckle from the girl as the couple linked hands.

“That’s wonderful. It’s been lovely meeting you as well. I’m sorry I have to leave so soon.”

“Don’t you worry about it, we’ll see each other again.”

“I certainly do hope so,” She stated genuinely as she stood next to the blonde who pulled her into a hug, quickly followed by Mike doing the same. Turning to face the Prince of Wales, Kimberly gave a small curtsy, thanking him before saying goodbye as she stood straight once again. Taking the arm offered to her, Kimberly took a step towards the gates she entered through until a hand fell upon her shoulder.

“Zara wouldn’t it be lovely if Kimberly joined us next weekend?” William’s voice came from over Kimberly’s head, turning to face the Duke who had appeared behind her.

“Of course, would you care to join us next weekend? We’re taking Mia riding for the first time and spending the weekend with the family.” Zara responded, the excitement growing on her face as she spoke, a sudden beam spreading over her lips as she made eye contact with Kate and winking subtly. “You can even stay at the villa with us all weekend.” Her words slowed down at the statement as she looked back over at in the younger girl. Stammering over her words, Kimberly bit her lip as she looked at the expectant faces before her before managing to get out a yes. At the single word, Zara handed the girl her phone to insert her number into before waving her off as Harry led her away from his family members.

“You don’t have to come just to please us.”

“I’m not-”

“I saw the deer in headlights expression before you agreed.”

“No, I want to. I quite like your family.”

“More than me?” He teased, as they reached the stairs, turning to face each other, smiling up at him, she gave a small shrug.

“I mean, Zara and Catherine are something special but I don’t think I like them more than you. Not yet anyway.” The redhead smiled down at her, their hands still joined as they looked at each other. The silence was broken by the sound of a car horn, drawing their attention to Kimberly’s car that pulled up where she was dropped off. Laughing lightly, she pulled her hand from him, thanking him quietly but before her hand could slip out, his grip tightened as he spoke.

“It was a pleasure, you better go before you catch a cold.” He murmured quietly to her, pulling her towards him and giving her a hug, kissing the curls atop her head before stepping away.

“You should too, don’t want you catching a cold.” She muttered back, smiling as she turned and went down the stair to the car. Entering it in silence, she gave a small wave to Harry as they drove away, a contented sigh leaving her lips, causing Adam to smile from the driver’s seat. His smile matching the one left on her face.

°•○♡○•°

chapter twelve is coming out tomorrow and then, hopefully I’ll be on posting a chapter every week until the story is over.

“I thought I told you those keys were for emergencies only.”

“You see though Kimmi, this is an emergency,” The voice of the redhead hovering above her came, only receiving another groan from the girl, “According to your planner, you have to meet with the caterers and the design team at half nine and it’s eight o’clock right now.” At the new information, the girl shot out of bed and glanced towards the alarm clock, cursing to herself as she pushed her friends out of the room. Shaking her head at their laughs, she headed straight for the shower, to start getting ready.

Pulling on the black and white ensemble and accessories that were chosen for her, she grabbed the box containing her shoes before slipping on a pair of ballet flats as she left her room. Bee-lining her way to the kitchen, Kimberly caught sight of her two friends and gave them each a kiss on the cheek before grabbing an apple and her bag from the counter top.

“Can you both please get Jayne up in time to meet the rest of the team and Adam, Rich said he’ll come pick you up. Your stuff are in the guest bedroom and-”

“Please don’t be late or Danny will kill you. Honey, we know. Calm down, go have fun. We’ll see you in a few hours,” Adam finished, cutting her off and giving her time to take the breath that she needed. His arm wrapped around Josie’s waist as she smiled at Kim and gave her a gentle wave off; throwing her the keys to her car.

Muttering a quick goodbye, she jetted off, firmly pushing the door shut behind her. Her head raced with all the things she needed to do, trying to organise her thoughts in order to keep herself calm. Failing to do so as her phone rang but ignoring the call as she pulled out the drive and onto the streets of London.

The morning rushed on by, the incessant ringing of her phone driving Kimberly up the wall as she tried to get sorted out. Letting the caterers and design team do their job in the hall, Kimberly went out to make a few phone calls and check on the team. It was two hours before the party and Kimberly could feel herself teetering on the edge of sanity as she rushed around. It was only when she arrived at the gallery that she finally let a genuine smile graced her face, seeing Jayne sat in the waiting room with the other girls and Danny.

Tugging both her friends into a tight hug, she released the before saying hello to the other as they all quickly fell into casual conversation. Every member was decked out in the same striped top and black wet look jeans, the golden accessories looking defined against the monochrome clothing. An array of golden heels were left at the side in a large clump despite their matching appearance.

“Oh I’ve missed you,” Her words flew out as she squeezed her friend tightly, Daniel’s longer arms wrapping around the two. When they finally split, Kimberly was pulled into their much taller friend, giving him a tight cuddle.

“It hasn’t even been twenty four hours yet Jaynie.” Kim commented back to her with a giggle, as they were all guided into their respective seats.

Daniel sat opposite them in one of the chairs, flicking through one of the magazines that were splayed out on the small table in front of him. A smile rested on his face gently, as his eyes disinterestedly skimmed over the pages - contented sighs leaving his mouth every once in awhile. Smiling at her friend as her head was tilted back, her eyes drifted closed until Daniel’s deep voice spoke out in the room.

“Kimmi?” Humming a response to show her acknowledgement, she didn’t open her eyes but her eyebrows rose slightly at the sound of her name, “Who did you ditch me to go to lunch with yesterday?” The words made her tense slightly as she tried to formulate an answer in her head that wouldn’t get either of her present friends too excited.

“You had a date?”

“Where did you get that from?” Kimberly squeaked at the blonde’s sudden outburst, her eyes shooting open but she didn’t sit up right as the hairdresser ran water through her hair.

“You don’t ditch us for lunch - no matter what!” Jayne stated a huge smile on her face as she turned her head slightly to the side, “Kim, who was it?” She asked, her voice rising in pitch at the excitement.

“It was just an old family friend, like Jose and Adam. Couldn’t miss out on seeing them, is all.” She answered, firmly hoping they couldn’t catch her lie. A towel was wrapped around her neck as she was lifted up until she was staring directly at Daniel who was already looking at her with a raised eyebrow. Lifting her own in challenge, she felt her resolve start to crumble as his eyes narrowed at her causing her to look away for a moment. When she look back, his eyes were still glued onto her and she sent him a look begging him not to press on any further. Giving a nod, he gave her a reassuring smile and dropped his head to look back at the magazine resting on his lap.

“I thought the bulb manufacturers are the only friends that really stuck with you after you moved.” Jayne said in an unsure voice, looking over at Kimberly now that she was now sat upright herself.

“Well, I grew up with them, we’re pretty much siblings but there were others that I just don’t talk to as much.” Lying was one thing Kimberly knew she couldn’t do to save her life, she just hoped due to the pampering happening Jayne wouldn’t notice her poorly constructed lies. Luckily for her, Jayne shut her eyes once more, getting lost as her hair was dried, hands massaging through her blonde locks, her darker roots beginning to blend through.

A sigh left Kimberly’s mouth, escaping all the other girls’ notice but Daniel’s eye caught her attention, signalling her that he wanted to talk to her once they were done. Shaking her head slightly, not to disturb the woman at work at her hair, she let her thoughts drift not realising the smile that appeared on her face at the images flashing through her mind.

Having headed off from the gallery before anyone else, Kimberly was back to ensuring everything was ready for that afternoon in order for the party to go off without a hitch. She wanted to make it special for Daniel and there was no room for error.

“K!” A voice shout, grabbing her attention from the clipboard she had requested earlier on, smiling at Richard and Adam who were both decked out in matching suits and were sauntering over towards her.

“Richie, Benny! Don’t you both look dapper.” She complimented, brushing their shoulder with the palm of her hands before grinning up at them.

“Before you ask, the other boys are helping carry in anything that still needs doing and also the kitchen staff, don’t have the right wine.”

“Caterers Be-what?” She said interrupting herself as his words processed fully through her brain. Her mind went into overload as she pressed her fingers against her forehead, “W-What do you mean, don’t have the ‘right wine’?” Anger rolled off her tongue as she bit it in an attempt to keep herself under control. Before either of the men could respond, Kimberly had stormed off towards the party of girls who had just arrived with Daniel. Gripping onto Jayne’s wrist, she smiled at everyone before directing her outside forcefully, snatching up her bag from the receptionists desk.

“Okay, honey, what happened now?”

“They don’t have the right wine Jaynie! There are only two kinds of wine that both Danny and Rich will drink and they don’t have the right ones.” She exclaimed, exasperated and on the verge of tears. A chuckle left Jayne’s mouth as she wrapped her friend up in a tight hug, muttering soothing words to ease her distress. Leading Kimberly to the car, they both got in, the keys being handed over to Jayne as they headed off for the supermarket.

“You get the wine, I get the ice?” Kimberly suggested as they both unbuckled themselves from their seats into the closest store they could find, not the cheapest but it was definitely Kimberly’s go to for wine. Only receiving a nod from her friend had her heading straight into the supermarket and heading for the freezers.

Gently placing another bag of ice in the shopping trolley, she started to make her way over to the self checkout till, ready to text Jayne if she wasn’t already waiting for her. However, her attention was taken off her route when she heard quiet muttering by the ready meals section. Her eyes flickered in the direction of the voice, catching the figure of a tall man hunched over slightly as he looked at the choices in front of him. His finger gently tapped his lips as incoherent words fell from his lips.

Slowing her steps until she paused in the middle of the aisle, she glanced back at the man before making the nice, but not so wise, decision to help the struggling man.

“If I were you, I’d go for neither, both are filled with things horrible for your body. Try searching a recipe for the one you like the sound of most and buying the right ingredients.” She spoke eloquently, smiling at herself and her achievement of talking to a stranger and helping someone - she hoped anyway.

As the stranger turned around, she found herself feeling like hitting herself up the back of the head, cursing at how she hadn’t realised exactly who was stood in front of her, now with a large grin plastered on his face. Her face heated up and were her skin fairer, a prominent blush would have been painted over her neck and her face.

°•●☆●•°

"Has the wise nutrition expert lost the ability to talk?"

"Oh stop it," She whined, covering her face with her hands, leaving her shopping cart to stand by her by itself, "I didn't know it was you, I would not have said anything had I known it was you. This is why I don't talk to strangers." She continued, her voice quietening significantly as she neared the end of her sentence. She watched as his smile grew, only making her face heat up even more than it already had. She thought she was going to implode - or even worse spontaneously combust.

"You talk to strangers for a living." His words came with a small chuckle, before she turned to face her cart full of ice once again.

"Not exactly."

"Yes you do." Her eyes flickered towards him, shooting him a challenging glance before he let out another laugh.

"My apologies, I thought I could be of assistance to a distraught member of the public." She muttered, pointing to the two boxes that were now place back to their respectful positions in the freezers.

"So, assist me." A smile crept onto her own face at his words before nodding enthusiastically. Promptly forgetting what she had ventured into the supermarket for, she took hold of his hand, pulling him into the direction of the fishmonger.

"This is my mother's recipe," Kimberly murmured, scanning the display, her index finger tapping her lips as she did so , sighing as she smiled and requested what she was looking for, "She always used to make it for my brother and I on a Saturday when she got back from work. It was our family tradition. No matter where we moved, Saturday evenings never changed." Taking hold of the pack she was handed, she thanked the worker and placed it in the shopping basket hanging from Harry's hand, a warm smile being sent his way.

"Sorry about that, you probably don't care about all that much."

"No, no, please, continue." Her smile broadening, she nodded before moving on through the aisles.

The pair moved through the supermarket, conversation seemingly flowing on its own when the vibration in her back pocket finally caught her attention. Pulling it out slowly from her pocket, she took a glance at the screen, cursing and squeezing her eyes shut for a moment before answering the call. Jayne's voice rang through the receiver notifying her of what she already knew. A frown settled on Kimberly's lips as she nodded despite knowing that her friend couldn't see her and muttered a goodbye before sheepishly smiling at Harry.

"I seem to have lost track of time." She muttered, gripping onto the bottle of spice that was still in her hand, glancing down at his watch she saw his own eyes widen slightly.

"It seems we're both to blame for that one."

"Most definitely, I should go get what I actually came here for."

"I'll come with you…you helped me after all."

°•●♡●•°

Okay so the newest chapter (12) is nearly up and i just wanted to know how you guys feel about the story and how it's progressing and whether or not you want me to start some form of tag system so you never miss a chapter. let me know. I'm thrilled to listen to your input and implement your ideas.

Placing a gentle smile on her face, she gave the table a light tap as she looked down at the person.His head lifted up ever so slightly, the menu slipping down no further than the tip of his nose,

“Hello, I was wondering if this seat is available?” Her question came as she bit back a smirk that was threatening to appear. She watched as he placed the menu flat against the table, a smile pulling at his lips as he gestured to the seat opposite him,

“Please make yourself welcome,” His voice flowing out with amusement as he quickly pulled the sunglasses off of his face, “I see I thought better of my disguise than it actually was.”

“I’ve learned that the best way to be inconspicuous is not to wear sunglasses and a cap indoors whilst hiding away in the corner.” She said, humour flooding her words as she gave him a gentle smile. Only then did she notice the two cups of coffee sat on the table in front of her, panic beginning to come out in waves as she glanced back up at him, “Did I keep you waiting long?” His head cocked to the side hearing the slight panic in her rather controlled question before his own eyes fell upon the coffee cups she was staring at.

“Of course not, this is for you,” He responded, gently pushing over one cup so it sat in front of her, “I didn’t know how you take your coffee so I called in and asked your assistant I hope you don’t mind.” A swell of happiness erupted inside her as she gently smiled at the cup, before giving him a grateful look.

“So Your- Harry, what can I do for you?” She corrected as he shot her a quick look, as she hid slightly behind her cup; taking a sip. At her words, a large smile filled his face, Kimberly was certain that he was the inspiration for the Cheshire Cat.

“I actually wanted to - get to know you…socially,” He murmured, his hand impulsively coming to rub the back of his neck. A gentle smile filled her face as he finished talking, her head bobbing into a nod as she looked over at him, “Yes?”

“Yes,” She repeated with a gentle laugh as stopped her head from moving anymore, “Of course.” She watched as he audibly sighed, leaning onto his hand as both his elbows came to rest on the table, only prompting another laugh from the girl.

“Worry took over for a moment then,”

“So it seems. I think I saw your soul leave your body and enter again.”  His laugh brought a smile to her mouth as she let him question her about her interest, likes and dislikes as she repeated the questions back to him. Time was soon forgotten as they spoke, almost as though they had known each other for much longer than they actually had.

“You’re joking?”

“I’m not, you have a scout’s honour. If it wasn’t for that, Daniel and I wouldn’t be friends. Who knew a room slip up could result in a friendship.” She explained, laughing as she spoke. Kimberly felt comfortable and that was all there was to it. As much as she’d hate to admit it, she found it hard to settle in with people. Moving around a lot had done that to her.

But here she sat with someone she’s only met twice, and very briefly at that, laughing as if she’d known him for her whole life. It made her feel good, warm and wanted inside. It made her happy. The happiest and carefree she’s been in quite a while.

It felt too good to last and sure enough, it was. The buzz of both their phones disturbed the free flowing conversation they’d been having. Apologising, she took a moment to grab her phone which simply stated a few words from Daniel but were enough to get her panicked. Looking up from her screen, she watched the man sat opposite her slide his own phone back into his pocket before looking up at her with an expression that probably matched her own.

“Needed?” She only nodded before carefully pushing her chair out as he did the same. As much as she loved her job, Kimberly could not deny that it was very pressing and tiring but she did it because she believed in the good outcomes which urged her on. However, moments like the one she was having were rare and hardly never came around without her job being mentioned.

Yet, it was in the moment that they both thanked the barista that she didn’t whether it was the relaxing nature of their lunch that she found so hard to say goodbye to or if it was the person she had spent near an hour with. Be it the way his eyes lit up with humour or excitement or the smoothness of his voice and laugh. Or simply that he allowed her to be herself without putting on a professional front. But she quickly found that she enjoyed watching his lips curve into a smile; a smile that she found frightfully contagious and couldn’t help but smile along.

As they walked passed the couple still sat, completely entranced by each other, her fingers ran over the edges of the sleeves of that jacket that had slid over her hands, encompassing her hands in its warmth as well. The clouds had taken over the sky as small raindrops began to fall from the sky. Even the dull English weather couldn’t wipe the smile off of the girl’s face as a few drops landed on her skin only what followed could. Slowly turning towards her companion, sadness washed over her as he gave a sad smile that she returned weakly.

Both went to speak, chuckled falling from their mouths as they both stopped. Motioning for him to speak, she waited patiently as his eyes panned away from her face for a moment before returning to hold her gaze. The smile grew upon his face again slowly as instead of speaking, Harry’s arms wrapped around her shoulders pulling her into an embrace gently. Tensing at the sudden action, Kimberly felt her eyes widen, taking a few moment to process the action before returning it happily. Releasing one another, her hands went back to fiddle with the sleeves not quite wanting to say goodbye but the persistent buzzing in her bag told her she best get a move on. Taking a step towards the road to cross it and get to her car, she paused and turned to face Harry once more. Tugging her arms through the sleeves of the jacket, she smiled momentarily as she held it out towards him.

“This is yours, I never gave it back.” But he simply smiled and shook his head, taking the jacket and placing over her shoulders again.

“Wouldn’t want you to get a cold.” He muttered quietly but loud enough for her to hear, his hand pointing to the sky where the rain continued to fall, getting heavier by the moment, a smile shooting across her lips for a second before she nodded at him, placing her arms through their respective holes.

Walking across the street, she dug around in her bag in search for her keys before unlocking the car and pulling the door open. Turning back to the cafe entrance, her eyes were greeted with the sight of the man she spent her lunch with, his ginger locks slowly getting plastered to his head as the rain continued to fall, soaking through his shirt as he stood and watched her from across the street. Smiling for a second, she called out to him as she pushed her own wet hair out of her face.

“Well you should get going too, it’s raining and cold. Wouldn’t want you to catch a cold.”

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thank you for reading!! i’d love any feedback; be it negative or positive or even constructive. i appreciate the support. I’ll be posting outfits as soon as i possibly can.

All My Love,