Lioness Jess Carter's alarming fear after first kiss with Germany's Ann-Katrin Berger
England's Jess Carter is loved up with fellow footballer Ann-Katrin Berger, but before they got together, Jess had never dated a woman.
The 27-year-old defender met Ann-Katrin when they both played for Birmingham City FC in May 2016.
Although they were teammates, they barely spoke for the first six months. "At first, I thought she was arrogant," Ann-Katrin told The Guardian."But the more I got to know her, the more I was drawn to her."
At the time, Jess was still living with her family in Barford, Warwickshire, but she was ready for independence.
By 2017, she wanted to move out, and found out Ann was looking for a housemate. In February, they moved in together in Solihull and quickly became close friends, bonding over their shared love of football and films.
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While their friendship blossomed, Jess didn't initially consider the idea of something more. She had just ended a relationship with a man and thought she was straight. That summer, while away at training, she found herself missing Ann-Katrin.
Curious whether there might be more than just friendship between them, she decided to take a chance and planned a night out. "A friend encouraged me, and I thought - if I don't try, I might regret it."
In August 2017, Ann-Katrin took Jess out on what she intended as a dinner date. But Jess was unaware of the romantic intention.
Jess said: "When she called it a 'date', I thought she meant as friends. Even when she paid, I didn't think twice - Ann's one of the most generous people I know."
Friends asked Jess how the evening went, but romance still didn't cross her mind, as she had never dated a woman.
A few days later, while they were relaxing at home, Ann-Katrin took the leap and kissed her. She admitted: "I was nervous. Jess had always seemed open-minded, but I'd also heard her talk about guys, so I wasn't sure."
They didn't talk about it right away, but after a second kiss days later, they had an honest conversation.
"I could sense something had changed," said Jess. "Ann isn't someone who dates casually - she only kisses someone if she's emotionally invested. I cared about her deeply as a friend, but I was still trying to understand my feelings."
Jess told Ann-Katrin she wanted to try, but needed time to be sure. She admitted: "I didn't want to rush into something if it was just a phase, or risk hurting her."
Though Ann-Katrin was more certain early on, Jess soon caught up. Things progressed naturally and quickly, and, within a few months, they were saying "I love you."
Last year, the pair announced their engagement with a heartfelt social media post. They revealed the news with a selfie of the couple in front of the Statue of Liberty in New York City after the culmination of the Women's Super League season.
In a post on X, the couple posed alongside one another for a selfie, with Carter's caption reading: "7 years down forever to go" along with red heart and ring emojis.
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