Adam woke the next morning with a renewed energy. He felt like the groove was back and they had moved past Kims sickness. However they had 4 more shifts before heading off on another adventure. He was beyond excited for this trip. He knew it would be emotional at times but thrilling too. He was so excited he needed Kim awake. "Darling, are you ready to wake?" He asked right as he started kissing all over her face. He felt her moving under him but she wasnt awake just yet. He moved his beard to just under her chin to tickle her a bit as he kissed her. He knew she would wake now. She was ticklish and couldnt hold back from squirming or laughing. Almost right away she started to giggle pushing him a bit. Needing it to stop. "Please stop! I have to pee!" Kim laughed feeling Adam back away laughing with her as she ran to the bathroom.
He was still laughing when she returned. He was sitting up just waiting for her. She moved towards him sitting in his lap. "Well hello darling!" He kissed her hard loving how her mind was working today. "Figured I needed to make it up to you for ruining your fun earlier." She laughed a bit. "Its all good. Its part of life. What time do you work today?" He knew she was teaching but had no idea when. "Today the class is at noon. Tomorrow I teach early at 8am and then head right to the interviews. Each prospective student has to preform a number for us to see their dance quality. But I want to look professional for that. So I will need to stop at the penthouse today for something to wear. Nothing crazy but something that looks nice and appropriate. I have plenty of options so Im not worried about it." Kim shrugged thinking about it.
"Awesome. Hopefully you find the right person. I know its going to be difficult. But Im confident you will find the right person." He watched her thinking a bit. "I just dont want the wrong person. Or take someone from another school. Thats shitty. I just have no idea if we will really get the right one. Our under studies were the best at that time. But they still arent great. I dont want to make a mistake." Kim explained. "I totally get that. I cant imagine how hard this must feel. But you can always teach them to be better. As long as they appreciate the position. That might be more important than pure talent." He watched her nod but smile a bit. "Agree completely! When they have a chip on their shoulders they cant be taught. Like that one I taught earlier this year. They think they know better. And they have no clue." Kim thought for a moment.
"Did I tell you that one was fired from Staten Island?" Kim questioned. "No you didnt. Thats crazy but also great! That makes sense given how bad she was and how poor her attitude was. Thats great for Staten Island. They deserved better." He was happy to hear the effort Kim had put in had not gone to waste. "Absolutely agree with you. They do deserve better. And I told Jen that when they were here. I doubt she will find work elsewhere but not my problem." Kim leaned in resting on his chest. "Correct not your issue. Are you ready to get up for the day?" He asked still holding her. "Not really. Just a few more minutes." Kims fingers running up and down his body. "Take your time. You have a very busy day ahead." He kissed her head letting his lips linger.
It was probably 10 minutes later when Kim moved off his chest. She looked more awake now. Kim kissed him lightly before moving towards her dresser. She needed to get dressed for her workout. She needed to return to normal life of working out and rehearsal. Adam smiled watching her move to the studio while he moved to the bathroom. She got her pointe shoes on and started her usual dance workouts. This was important since she was returning to work in just three weeks. She was still working out when Adam finished his shower and was dressed for the day. He even watched her for a bit. He then started coffee and his breakfast. He knew Kim would eat when she was done with her work out. He trusted her with that. He finished up breakfast cleaning up after himself before heading back to the studio. "Hey darling. Im heading out for work. See you later. Do good today!" He kissed her while she stood on pointe. "Bye baby! Have a great day! Be safe! Love you!" She winked as she walked off again. "Love you too darling!" He winked right back leaving the room.
He headed to work happy for how the day started. It was going to be a great day. Adam had arrived at work in a great mood. They had had a wonderful morning. "Morning guys!" Adam dropped his bag heading for coffee. "Morning! You seem like you are in a good mood this morning." Erin watched him. "Yeah it was a good weekend off. And a good morning." He smiled as he worked getting his drink. "Thats great! What did you guys do yesterday?" She asked as they moved back their desks. "We spent most of the day between the lake and the bed. Kims feeling better, still tired but feeling stronger everyday. We've missed the connection. So yesterday we reconnected." He smiled thinking back about it. "Thats great! Im happy for you both. She seemed really happy on Saturday. And her little friend is adorable by the way." Erin laughed a little remembering the interaction. "Oh yeah hes cute. A little douche bag but cute. He is not a fan of me. He is pretty stand off ish with me. Unless he needs me to get Kim for him." Adam laughed thinking about him.
"Alright we have a case. Dead gang bangers lets head out." Voight ordered as they all head out. Adam texted Kim letting her know they had a case. It could be a late night. Kim was eating her breakfast when she recieved the text. "Be safe baby! Love you!" Kim texted back. She finished eating cleaning up the kitchen afterwards then headed to the bathroom. She turned on her music and started to jam out as she was getting ready. She loved music. It blocked her mind allowing her to relax as she showered. As she got out of the shower she dried off and started to do her hair. She wrapped her hair in a bun using lots of bobbie pins to hold back the shorter hairs. She sprayed her hair a bit to help hold it In place. She then moved to get dressed for the day. She dressed for teaching before heading out to the penthouse.
Kim arrived at the penthouse checking the mail as she headed to the elevator. Inside their home she dropped the mail on the table then headed right to the closet to look for something to wear. She took several photos of different dresses sending them to Kaitlyn for advice about what the wear. They finally agreed on white body con dress with a black stripping. It was well fitting and easy wear. She also grabbed some heals and jewelry. She was shocked when she saw the time. She had to leave again. She grabbed the mail to look at later. She headed right to the academy hoping it would be a better experience from the last time. She arrived noticing a few cameras but no one was screaming at her yet. She parked the car getting out to head inside making sure to lock the car on the way in.
The paps took photos but let her be. She thanked them as she moved inside ready to teach. Adam was across town working hard on their current case trying to finish it today. The team had decided to take a break from the case eating lunch in the breakroom. Adam was happy to read that Kim was at work and unbothered by the paps. "Adam we are looking into a lake house. Still havent agreed to do it but we wanted to look into it more. What house should we stay away from?" Jay asked knowing Adam had offered help if they wanted it. "Oh yeah that place. Hold on let me pull it up for you." Adam pulled out his phone to show them. He found it right away handing them his phone. "Gotcha. Good to know. We will keep that in mind. Thank you!" Jay handed the phone back after jotting down the address of the house to miss. "I have no idea whats still available up there but there has to be something that would work." Adam hoped they could find something great like he had.
Adam and team returned to the case as Kim started her class. She moved to the studio where her class was waiting. "Good Afternoon class! Im Kimberly Burgess! Lets start warm ups please." Kim clapped as the dancers lined up. She moved around the room watching each person working through the movements. She noticed one dancer who was not making full extentions at all. It was crazy to see. Kim moved to her. "Excuse me. Are you alright? Your movements are not full, you look in pain." Kim moved her to the side to speak more private. "Oh I ah hurt my ankle yesterday. But you cant say anything. I will lose my spot." She cried. "Hey. You are not going to lose your spot because you are injuried. You need medical attention. I promise you will not lose your spot." Kim tried to reason. "Can I trust you? I heard you got someone fired." The girl was nervous but in pain. "She got herself fired by leaking my schedule to paps. That illegal and those paps put tracking devices on my vehicle. You are safe to seek medical attention." Kim assured her as the girl left to get help.
"Okay lets start working on the number for the recital." Kim got them to line and start performing before her. She moved back and forth watching each person as they moved before her. "Watch your space in the back row!" Kim called out as she watched. She saw a couple were struggling. "Why are we struggling here folk?" Kim looked around the room. "Did you just fire that girl?" Someone asked. "Hell no! I sent her for medical attention. Now stop this craziness! Get back to proper work!" Kim yelled tired of this already. The dancers started working again trying harder this time. It was much better this time. And Kim was much more pleased this time. Her class finished the hour Kim thanked each one before she headed back to her car.
As she exited the building she saw the same paps as before. "Ms Burgess?" One called out. "Yes?" Kim was confused since they called her by name. "How has the reponse been to your televised interview?" He asked her but not on camera. "Um honestly I have heard it was positive but I havent read it. The comments before the interview were horrific. And like I said in my interview Im much too happy for all that drama." Kim smiled a bit as she headed off. "Good luck ma'am." Kim nodded as she entered her car ready to get home for the day. She knew Adam was busy so she headed back to the lake house to relax some. When she arrived home she brought all the mail in with her. She dropped it on the table and headed to change. She dropped all her clothes into the wash bin grabbing a tank and some booty shorts before heading to the kitchen to make lunch.
She sat to eat her lunch going through all the mail. She sepetated all the junk mail first then looked more closely at the important things. She found one thing that seemed important. It was to them both from Adam's father. She wasnt sure what to do with it. It did have her name on it. But did she really want to know what he had to say? She would think about it. And maybe opening it with Adam would be better. She decided to text Adam before heading to the dock. "Hey baby! I checked the mail and we have a letter from your dad. Im not sure how to handle that." Kim texted as she moved outside. He called her right away. "Hey darling. What does it say?" He asked right away. "I dont know. I didn't open it. Even though it was addressed to us both. I figured opening it together was better." She shrugged though he couldnt see that. "Okay that works for me. How are you feeling about the letter?" He understood her thinking. "Um probably confused about what he wants now. Maybe frustrated that he reached out at all. Wish he would go away and let us be." She sighed a bit. "I hear ya! Its insane. But we will face it together always. Hopefully its just an apology letter and then we can move on again." He paused thinking for a bit.
"Im not even sure he still has a job after what happened. I never asked. I just avoided the topic at work and with my sister. Its just easier than facing the issue with them. I know Commander Fisher stated that we cant have cops with gambling problems on the streets. So I guess that means they probably fired him. Thankfully my job was never in jeopardy because of him." He explained as he worked. "I hear ya. Okay go back to work. Im headed to the dock to relax some. See you tonight. Be safe! Love you!" Kim replied as she walked. "Okay darling. Enjoy the dock. See you later. Love you too!" He hung up sighing heavily. Kim settled on the dock as Adam returned to work. "Bob reached out?" Al asked. "Yeah wrote a letter I guess to both Kim and I. Shes not opening it til I get home. She was not sure how to handle it other than not reading it." He sighed a bit. "That was a good plan on her part. You could also never open it. That would be okay too. Just think about that." Al nodded as he walked back to his deak.
Kim laid down on the couch, closing her eyes letting the calm of the water wash over her. It was raining outside but she didnt care. The sound of the lake and the rain was calming her. She knew she had work to do in the house but she needed to calm first. She ended up taking a short nap before heading back to the house starting the wash. Kim ended up cleaning the whole house just to kill time. Adam was happy to finish the case and happy to head home to Kim. He had sent a quick text letting her know he was on his way so she could start dinner or order it. He knew she was trying to eat at home more but it had been a crazy day. When he arrived home he saw her in the kitchen. "Hey darling!" He watched her turn around smiling softly. "Hey baby! How was your day?" Kim asked as she melted into his arms.
"It was okay. Easy case. Most dead banger cases are. How was your day?" He asked watching her every movement. "Interesting. I got to work to find a few paps but they just took photos. Said nothing to me. I had to send one dancer for medical attention even if she was afraid of getting fired by me. Then after she left the others were afraid I fired her so they were not focused. It was frustrating! But after class I was leaving the paps were still there. Again took my photo but mostly left me alone. Only one asked how the media reacted to my interview. I told them I had no idea since the comments before were harsh. He nodded and let me go. It was pretty surprising. Then I got home to see this letter from your dad. Its a bit crazy." Kim explained. "So I guess people found out about the girl who leaked your schedule getting fired?" He assumed based on the story. "Yup! I explained it to the girl who needed medical attention but not the others." She continued cooking.
"Why did the girl need medical help?" Adam wasnt sure if it was the same one who being abused. "Her ankle was swollen. She was having a hard time with the simple stretches. So I told her to get help but she didnt want to go because she was afraid to be fired. It was insane! Hopefully she gets better quickly." Kim shrugged. "Well Im happy you stepped in to help her. That was the right thing to do." Adam was proud of her for putting the dancer first. "Of course thats how we fix the mistakes of the past. Training a whole new generation of dancers that its okay to get help. Whether it was emotional help, physical help or medical help. Its all okay. Most still dont know that. I want to change the mistakes of the past, I want to rewrite the rules for the future." Kim explained as she started to plate dinner.
"Love that idea! Especially since you are already helping to rewrite the diet rules. The two go hand in hand. It would be a great legacy to leave behind if you ever choose to stop working." He watched her smile. "That's true too. Seems like a battle worth fighting for. And I truly appreciate that the director is willing to listen and work with me on fixing things. Two cases recently I don't remember where but two different ballerina's have died. One was pretty clear it was from being malnourished. The other we still arent sure. That cant stay the course. I want better for the next generation." Kim explained as they started to eat. "Oh wow. Thats crazy! Sounds like its a battle that needs to be fought. Thats unreal. Did you know either?" He asked concerned for her. "No I didnt. But while I was in London I watched this documentary called Dancing for the Devil. Its a cult of dancers on tik-toc. Anyway during the different episodes I noticed several background dancers I knew from National Dance Day. I was shocked. Thankfully those people arent in the cult just friends with cult members. Crazy though." Kim watched his eyes widen.
"Thats insane! Wow I had no idea. I think I will look that up. Should be interesting to watch." He mused as they continued to eat dinner. "It was unreal to watch. But it really didnt seem to be sexually motivated. It was all about money. The cult leader would make them famous making these tik-tok videos, then get them contracts where he get most of the money. And like all cults they cant contact their families. Its horrible." Kim explained further. "Huh crazy. Thankfully you have a good contract at will set you up for life." He watched her nod. "I got lucky. Part of that was because the court assigned Brian to protect my money and me. I didnt know how to pay bills, manage money. I was a kid. So the court assigned him to help me. And then I just kept him once I actually became an adult." Kim took a sip of her drink before continuing. "Some states actually have laws in place for child stars that force the parents to start savings accounts so when the child is of age they aren't completely screwed over. Maryland wasnt one of those states. But in the long run I lucked out." Kim smiled weakly.
"You really did. You have made a great life for yourself. Im awfully proud of you for everything you have achieved. And its just the beginning." He got up pulling her up so he could hug her. "I love you so much darling!" He held her tight feeling the love between them. "Love you too baby! Im so happy we are here together!" She leaned up to kiss him. "Lets clean up and then we can crash out on the couch for a bit." Adam suggested. "Love it. We could use some down time before we travel again." Kim started to load the dishwasher as Adam put the left overs away. They worked well around each other. They settled on the couch wrapped together enjoying the feeling of being together. Adam turned on the tv pulling up a baseball game for them to watch. While it wouldn't necessarily be relaxing with Kim yelling at the tv but it would at least be fun.
Adam loved getting Kim riled up over baseball it was always a good show. He loved watching her scream and yell at the games in real life or on tv. "I think Im going to have Al read the letter before we read it. Just in case its just more insults." He had thought long and hard about it. "Sounds like a good plan. Last thing we need is more insults from your dad. So Im with you on that." Kim agreed as she relaxed more. "I have a vacation update with the east coasters." She adjusted herself in his grip. "Okay whats up?" He asked confused. "So the one girl with has caused tons of drama with Jim. She a big meal planner. And likes to mix different recipes together to make them healthier. Feel free to say no to her meals. And if she offers to cook or her husband say no. If they cook dinner which they say will be on the table by 5:30 is more like7:30 due to poor planning, poor time management skills and low attention span. And neither know how to say no to alcohol so be prepared." Kim explained as they sat watching the game.
"Lovely! How crazy are these meal?" He was fine with healthy but based on Kims face it seemed extreme. "Shes a big fan of zoodles, zucchini noodles. Low fat, low carb everything. Tofu instead of chicken, fake Krab instead of real crab since its cheaper and then cottage cheese instead of Ricotta cheese. Applesauce instead of eggs or oil with baking. And she forgets peoples allergies or likes so thats always an issue." Kim explained watching Adam cringe. "Okay I will speak out. Anything else?" He asked. "Her and her husband also over cook food. Like a party of 10 means 18 sausages and 10 pounds of chicken. With 2 full boxes of pasta. Its insane!" Kim watched his eyes bug out. "Thats way too much food. Absolutely insane! Think you should take over that role. Or make it clear we all have to agree on the food for the week. Thats the proper way to do a group vacation." He watched her nod. "Agree completely. And I know Keith doesn't like fish but hes fine with us all eating it as long as we cook a piece of chicken or steak for him." Kim shrugged a bit.
"Sounds like a good compromise. Are we seeing them this trip?" He asked unsure if they would have time. "Nope. I doubt Nicole will want to visit Jim with how bad his memory has been and with how terrible he looks. And Keith works on fridays. Plus I want to spend as much time in Philly as possible and they hate philly. They always complain how unsafe it is. Im not really concerned about that. I would rather enjoy the experience and not worry about the minimal risk. Really Chicago is just as bad and it doesnt stop us from having fun." She rolled her eyes a bit. "Gotcha! It will be fun no matter what." He snuggled her closer wanting to hold close. "Yes it will! Im excited to see your reaction to the beach but also the sights in Philly. I really think you are going to love it." They shared a brief kiss before returning to the game.
Kim was quiet for a bit as they watched the tv. "We took Jim to this resort one year for his birthday. He was already drunk so we didnt tell him where we were going. It was the only gay resort in the area. He was shocked we would bring him there. He was nervous to be there. Justin who was also drunk told Jim not to worry because they would ask before sucking his dick! I smacked him hard for that comment but everyone was laughing." Kim watched Adam cracking up. "So wrong but funny as hell." Adam just hugged her. "Horrible comment but we walk inside and they could tell we didnt belong. They told us where to go for the love music then guided us towards the bears den. As we moved through the dining room the trans waitresses looked Jim over. Looking him up and down before saying 'hello big boy'. It was hysterical and he was freaked out." Kim laughed a bit more.
"We are taken down this stone stair case at night, its cold as hell out. We finally make it to the bears den and its dark wood walls with a large bar. We got drinks in plastic cups which Jim was outraged by but he took it. As the band started to warm up we realized the lead singer was this larger Lizzo type woman. With the large chest, skimpy outfits. Jim was yelling for her to keep jumping so her boobs would pop out. It was insane! But it was such a great time. Then we all went back to Jims to drink even more. It was insanly fun." Kim laughed for a bit over it. "Sounds like he was a lot of fun before the stroke." He smiled holding her. "Yeah. We have been to Vegas with him, Atlantic City, Manhattan. So much fun. Queens was a rough experience." Kim took a drink from her cup before she continued.
"So we went Queens to see our friend Lisa preform in a cabaret act. It was supposed to be in 2020 but Covid cancelled that. Finally in 2022 I think we went to see the show. We were in a pretty okay neighborhood. We went to dinner beforehand. The other Adam said there wasnt a ton of places to eat but he found a place that would work. We get there and there is literally dozens of places to eat. He never looked he was going from memory of when he lived there. The food was okay, they dragged out dinner so we werent too early for the show which was actually the wrong move. We got the last table next to the stage. Literally next to a speaker. After the show I thought we were headed home. But no Mindy decided we needed to go find her friend who was visiting from Michigan. But she never asked us. She just told us. It was god awful walking around looking for this dive bar. My shoes were not the right shoes so my heels were bleeding as I walked. We pass in front of thos beautiful looking restaurant, it was bright with white columns in the front." Kim shook her head.
"I saw this black man and realized his pants and underware were down around his ankles. He had a Bang energy drink can up against his butthole as he was shitting in it! I was horrified! Justin saw it too and moved everyone else so they didnt see it. But I was stunned and over it. I just wanted to go home after that. I think it was almost 2 hours later when we got actually left. Justin told me to sleep in the car since I had a migraine at that point and was exhausted. But I couldnt sleep because Mindy had her phone playing music super loud next to my ear the whole ride home. I was in tears but no one told her to lower the volume. Or to be respectful of other people. They just laughed it off. I needed a break for a few days after that. Mindy thought I was being a bitch. But it was just horrible." Kim cringed even though Adam was still laughing a bit.
"Sounds like a horrible night for you. Thats terrible. Though it is funny now that you arent in the situation anymore." He heard her laugh a bit. "It is now but it was so traumatic in the moment. Never saw anything like that before. And hope to never see it again." She cringed thinking about it. "So this Mindy person is the one who fed Jim the salty foods right?" He was putting the pieces together. "Yes. She also the meal prepper. She knows no boundaries. Madly inappropriate a lot of the time. Always has to be playing music on her phone. And its some of the worst shit. Sounds with the n word which I absolutely cant stand but she doesnt care. She doesnt see it as an issue. And god forbid someone challenge her she throws a fit. Its very child like. I really dont enjoy hanging out with her anymore. It feels like a chore. But we couldnt not invite her. Not sure her husband is coming. He hates hot weather. And is always over anxious about everything. With massive ADD and OCD. He is a chore too. So lots of beach time in the future to stay away from them." Kim smiled thinking of her plan.
"Yeah not dealing with that shit. I will tell her to turn it down, change the song and to grow up. Im not there to be her friend. Im going to spend time with you. They arent going to ruin that. And they are not going to make the trip all about them either. I promise to support you a d have your back." He moved her to sit on his lap. "We need to rent a vehicle with 4 wheel drive. Then we can really escape them." Kim laughed thinking about her plan. "Sounds good darling. Im excited for that trip but Im also dreading a bit with this Mindy person going, sounds like too much drama. I guess lots of stress releases are going to happen." He winked tickling her a bit. "Sounds perfect!" Kim laughed wrapping her arms around his neck. She kissed him long and slow. "God I love you!" Adam had been left breathless. "I love you too!" She kissed him slow again.
"Lets get you to bed darling. You have a busy day tomorrow." He felt her nod as he turned off the tv. He picked her up and carried her to the bed room. He placed her down so she could brush her teeth and get ready for bed. He watched her get ready as he too got ready. She was first to crash into bed, her eyes barely open as she waited for Adam to join her. He smiled fondly as he joined her. Wrapping his arms around her. Pulling her body tight against his. "Sleep darling. We have all night." He kissed her head as she snuggled closer. Her eyes now closed, breathing softly. "Good night my love." Kim fell asleep right after that. "Night my love." He fell asleep right after her. Letting her scent and body lull him to sleep.