Chapter 12 Wishes is starting to come to terms with her feelings for Linda

As we went to leave the shop I smiled when Wishes took my arm possessively.

"I can't believe you did that!" she hissed at me as we returned to the street.

I smiled sweetly at her angry expression.

"Which one, me kissing you or me kissing Sally?" I asked with a grin.

"Well both really, I've never been so embarrassed," Wishes spluttered.

I steered Wishes to some benches in the street and sat her down.

"Look love I'm sorry if I embarrassed you by kissing you in public, but you looked so pleased to see me come back that I couldn't resist it," I sighed. "Look I have spent a long time not feeling like I could show affection. Not being able to just hug or kiss someone a thank you. Since I've met you I feel, I don't know, liberated, free. I just love being me and being in contact with other people."

"Sally didn't mind me kissing her, and I doubt her girlfriend will mind."

"Girlfriend, you mean she's gay, how did you know, do you know her?" Wishes sounded confused, and maybe a touch jealous.

"I've never seen her before, she told me she had a girlfriend just before she kissed me in the fitting room," I could see that was the wrong thing to say, the green eyed monster was rearing its head behind my beloved's own green eyes.

"Wishes, trust me please, it was just a friendly kiss, and it was just after she told me how lucky I was to have such a beautiful girlfriend," I grinned, that should take her mind off the jealousy thing.

"She said ... You told her I was ... How." Wishes spluttered.

I took Wishes hand and looked into her eyes.

"She told me, she had never seen two people who looked so much in love. She said it was beautiful."

"Oh Linda!" Wishes said with a sob in her voice. To my surprise she kissed me for a long time on that bench. The Saturday afternoon shoppers streaming past us as time seemed to stand still. We occupied a tiny timeless space amid the rush of city life, just the two of us, it was somehow perfect.

"It is getting harder and harder to do what I always thought I should do, be who I am supposed to be. Since I first saw you in the coffee shop I feel like I got onto a roller coaster. So far we've been climbing up to the peak. What happens when we get to the top of the ride Linda?" Wishes looked worried. I brushed a stray lock of copper hair from her cheek and softly touched her flushed face. Wishes turned towards the hand and gently kissed my palm.

"What happens then Linda?" she whispered.

"I don't know Wishes, I don't know. I love you and want you so hard it hurts most of the time. But it's a sweet hurt that I wouldn't be without. You know it won't be easy if we end up together, some of your friends will be angry or disgusted, even the some of the ones that spout liberal attitudes will probably find it's a different matter when it's one of their close friends."

"You and I would get hassles from some people, and acceptance from others. It will be easier for me I won't deny it, no one knows me around here so no one has any expectations for how I'm going to act. But there are two people I can guarantee will be able to give you unconditional love," I was almost whispering by the time I finished.

"Two people?"

"Two people, yes, Me, and Alhana."

"Mum, oh shit, I hadn't thought. She's going to go up the wall," The flush drained from Wishes face and she looked terrified.

"You should trust her good sense more than that. Anyway she knows."

"She knows ... How ... when did you..." Wishes was almost squeaking.

"I didn't, when we went to tea and you were washing up. She told me to be patient, she said she could see what you felt for me and that you just needed some time to accept it."

"My mum said that, I need to have a chat with her," Wishes was sounded angry but I could see the twinkle in her eye and could tell she wasn't really mad.

"So the whole world knows I'm a dyke except me is that it," Now Wishes did look angry.

"I don't think it's the whole world, I think it's just people who really know you and care about you that are bound to notice. Although kissing and holding hands in the middle of the city centre might give it away to some people as well."

That set Wishes laughing and after giving me another long kiss she stood up and held out her hand to me. I took her hand and held it tight as we walked down the main street. I couldn't even tell you if anyone had been staring at us as we held hands and kissed on the bench, or as we walked. I was so focused on Wishes that I was oblivious to everything else.

"I've had enough of shopping lets go home now," Wishes said. "I'm sure I've got something I can wear tonight at home."

"Ok. Um, can you help me out with my make-up before you go home to change for the party, please," I begged her.

"Of course love," Wishes gave me a quick peck on the cheek. "I don't know why you want to though, you've got lovely skin as it is."

"Are you sure," I asked nervously. "I want to look perfect tonight, for you." I added shyly.

Wishes stopped walking and pulled me around in front of her.

"You look perfect as you are," She said and kissed me tenderly, not a passionate kiss but filled with enough love to set my heart fluttering.

"I can't believe you," I said chuckling as we parted. "This morning you said you wanted to take things slowly, sort out your feelings. Now you seem to want to announce US to the world."

Wishes kissed me again, this time for longer and with just a hint of the passion that was just under the surface. Once again it felt like we were an island of tranquillity in the rush of daily life.

"I know," she said at last, "it just feels so right, so natural to love you and tell the world that I love you. I don't understand why but it does. I think we will both go without make-up tonight, it feels better to kiss you with nothing between us."

"If that makes you happy then I'm happy, I don't really like the stuff anyway," I told Wishes.

Before long we were back at the car and had to let go of each other. I didn't want to but you can't drive a manual and hold hands very easily, unless you want to drive in first gear all the way home.

When we got back to the village I dropped Wishes off at her house. I had to get out of the car, to get one of the boxes from the back of the car.

I shyly handed the large white box to Wishes.

"Don't open this until after your shower, just before you dress," I saw tears forming in the corner of her eyes as she kissed me quickly.

"Thank you love, you didn't have to get me anything," She said sniffing.

"I wanted to. What time is the party."

"Pick me up just before eight if you could."

"Ok. Bye for now, I'm going to miss you."

"Me too, bye darling." another quick kiss and she was gone.