Saturday ...

Technically, it WAS Saturday. It was past midnight, and I was nursing a drink – my third one since I camedownstairs – on the sofa in the study. And I was wide awake. I had no qualms about the punishment Keith had received – severe though it had been, it was justified and wellearned. But I was concerned about the perspective Keith had about John and myself. And I wondered overand over again if I could have been responsible for Keith’s doubts. I was still searching my mind for answerswhen I sensed a movement and saw Keith standing in the half open doorway, looking at me uncertainly. Myheart leaped and ached at the same time. Slowly, I held out my hand and he came towards me, allowing me todraw him into my lap. He squirmed to get comfortable, careful not to rest his weight too much on his bottom. ‘Why are you not in bed, hmm?’ I asked. ‘Why aren’t you?’ he countered. I put my hand under his chin and tilted his face up so I could kiss him, suddenly hungry for him. He kissed meback fiercely. We eventually broke for air. Looked into one another’s eyes. And spoke at the same time … ‘You go first,’ I said, as we grinned at one another. ‘I wanted to tell you … I didn’t mean …’ Keith started and stopped. ‘Didn’t mean what, darling?’ ‘Didn’t mean what I said just now. About … about John.’ ‘Darling …’ Keith cut me off. ‘No, let me finish. I … know how close you are to John. I understand about that, butsometimes I get a bit … jealous? You know, when you always bring him into our conversations?’ I would have spoken then, but Keith held up a hand and I subsided again. ‘No, please, let me just say it. I know I shouldn’t mind, and I promise I will TRY very hard not to. But whatI am trying to say is ….that … that even when I do get jealous, its not because you ever made me feel left outor less loved. It’s just me. I’m the one who is at fault here.’ ‘Keith,’ I said, taking his hand and squeezing hard, ‘no one is at fault, least of all you. You are right – John andI are very close. We have been friends a long time, and we go back a long way. We do a lot of things together. But you are also right that there is no reason in the world for you to be jealous. John can never replace you. He is my friend; but you are my friend and my lover. You are everything in the world to me.’ Keith nodded his head fiercely, snuggling his face into my shoulder as he flung his arms around my neck andhugged me tightly against him. ‘I know. Oh God Dusty, I love you so much!’ I slowly pried his hands away from my neck and took his face in mine. Gently, I ran my thumb over his cheek,brushing away the tear that had slid down. ‘Shhh … come on babe, enough crying for one night. Your eyes are going to be all swollen tomorrow. Hushnow …’ I smiled at him – Keith was a beautiful sight, even with swollen, reddened eyes. I reached up and our lips touched - slowly, gently, and lovingly. We kissed deeply, my tongue once againdemanding and urgent. Keith groaned into my throat, twisting around to straddle me, both hands in my hair.He raised himself on his knees, so that he towered over me, suddenly claiming control, and I let him. He torehis mouth from mine, and kissed my eyes, then trailed his mouth down my face and throat, his hands busilyunbuttoning my shirt. Keith seldom turned aggressor on me and it turned me on immensely. ‘Oh babe …’ I breathed. Keith stood and held out his hand to me. Silently I took it and let him lead me upstairs to bed.