CHAPTER 1

The traffic back into Glasgow was horrendous, Nikki was sitting in a line of cars that a snail could have passed, she was getting annoyed now, all she wanted was to get back to the hotel park up and go out for dinner with Vix. They had spent the weekend of half term in Glasgow with Klaudia and Jana, it had been a fantastic time but Nikki just wanted to be alone with Vix in a place no one would disturb them. They had left their mobile phones switched off and had told Robert the hotel they were staying in saying that they really did not want to be disturbed unless it was of the utmost urgency and to ring the hotel. She wished she had never volunteered to take them to the airport now.

Sitting at the traffic lights she caught a woman waving frantically at her, she tentatively lifted her hand and made a small wave back, "someone who thinks she knows me," Nikki drove on to the next lights and just as she was to pass through them they turned to red, frustration was growing, she was three minutes away from the hotel it felt like three hours by the time she had parked up and made her way into the lift up to reception. She reached their room to find Vix just out of the shower; her beautiful body glistened in the sunlight filtering in through the gap at the top of the curtains. Nikki could feel the warmth between her legs and her breath catching in her throat, "you really are beautiful Vix," Nikki drank in the view in front of her. Vix's self esteem had been completely destroyed whilst they had lived in Berlin just over 12 months ago. The trauma of the kidnap and rape had left her feeling dirty and cheap. She had even had a problem with Nikki seeing her naked but today she felt comfortable with her; she had not wanted to be touched for a long time after she had returned home. Nikki had been so patient and still was, they had not really made love properly since before the kidnap, Vix had found it hard to relax, but here alone with Nikki in a place she was anonymous she felt free she dropped the towel to the floor and allowed Nikki to wrap her arms around her. They made love without Vix stopping Nikki after a short time; she wanted Nikki to love her completely to banish all the pain. For the first time in months Vix felt free.

"Shall we have room service or do you want to go out?" Nikki rested her chin on Vix's head as she rested on Nikki's breasts.

"I'd like to go out Nikki if that's ok with you."

"Sam are you home yet?" Lexy threw her bag on the table and pulled out the milk and bread she had bought on her way home.

"In the bedroom Lex, just got home, going into the shower." Sam immerged with a large bath sheet wrapped around her.

"What was with you today, I saw you at the lights on Rose Street and you never even waved properly to me, whose was the Toyota you were driving?" Lexy continued to stuff groceries in cupboards.

"I wasn't anywhere near Rose Street today, I've been in Shawbridge all day, that drug bust were working on, I was driving the Nissan our Nissan we have one each one black one grey," Sam looked at Lexy she could see she was genuinely puzzled.

"You must have a double then," Lexy grinned, "they say everyone has a double."

"Yeah so they do, I'm off to the shower," with that Sam went into the bathroom.

Lexy put the kettle on and leaned against the work top waiting for it to boil, she had been sure it was Sam but if Sam was in Shawbridge she was nowhere near Rose Street, and she hadn't been in a Toyota.

"What time are we meeting Tess?" Sam was drying her hair.

"Half eight, she was going for eight but Sadie can't make it till half past, she's working hard lately," Lexy made for the bedroom, "Going in the shower."

Sadie had changed dramatically since she had stolen a watch to give to her lover, trouble was she was in lover with this lover; she had been blown out by her when the watch had been seen by the woman who owned it perched nicely on Lauren's wrist. Lauren had been furious and told Sadie she never wanted to see her again. Sadie had been wild for a few months but now she had calmed down and actually found a job she had stuck to. Lauren had turned up one morning out of the blue and told Sadie she was filing for a divorce, she missed Sadie so very much, she was in love with her, now Sadie was working her self to death to prove she was not all bad. She shared a flat with Tess and a woman named Sophie, Sophie had taken Lexy's place when she moved in with Sam.

The gang were going to meet at Rubies their favourite haunt, Frankie was back in the fold, her girlfriend Geri had grounded her and she was making a great success of her photography business, Cat was not forgotten both Frankie and Sam often talked about her with the others.

"Have you seen my lip gloss Sam?" Lexy was emptying out her handbag and draws in the bedroom.

"You mean this one? The one you always leave on the dressing table," Sam threw it across to Lexy.

"Thanks gorgeous." Lexy caught it.

They had a window seat looking out over the river, it was an exclusive restaurant, Nikki had chosen it as Vix had mentioned she had been with her Mum when she was first starting to help her in the jewellery business.

"This is beautiful Nikki; it brings back so many happy memories of Mum and I when she used to bring me to Glasgow to bring her pieces in to the jewellers she made them for,"

Vix enjoyed her meal, Nikki suggested they went for a walk, the nights were drawing out. She linked her arm with Vix and they walked together in the twilight.

Tess was dashing along the road towards Rubies when she saw Nikki and Vix strolling towards her, her mouth fell open and she stared at them. Vix stared back at Tess, once they were past Vix turned to Nikki, "did you see that woman staring at us, I thought it wasn't an issue to walk down the street linking arms."

"Ignore her, homophobia is alive and kicking," Nikki pulled Vix closer.

Tess steamrollered into Rubies nearly taking out Frankie and Geri as she made her way to the booth, "Hey what's the hurry Tess slow down there's plenty of drinking time," Frankie took her arm.

"I've just past Sam with another woman," Tess was breathless; "They were bold as anything linking arms too."

"You couldn't have seen Sam she's been her for at least 20 minutes Tess, she's over there with Lexy talking to Declan and Dave," Frankie jerked her head in the general direction of Sam and Lexy.

"But it was Sam it was so like her," Sam and Lexy joined them, Tess blurted out that she thought she had just seen Sam with another woman just down the road.

"Not unless she's able to jaunt like the Tomorrow People and I've been in a trance, Sam's been with me in the flat and here since we got home from work," Lexy thought about the woman she had mistaken for Sam that afternoon.