‘OK, want to tell me what’s eating you?’ I asked, knuckles on my hips.

Keith looked back blankly. ‘What are you talking about?’

'Stop it right there.’ I said sternly. ‘You know exactly what I am talking about.’

He had the grace to blush.‘Nothing.’ Keith mumbled eyes on the floor.

‘Come here.’

‘Why?’ he asked, uncertain.

I beckoned him with one finger. ‘Here!’ I pointed to the spot in front of me.

Reluctantly he came over, but stopped just out of arms reach. To cut the game short, I simply took one step forward and grabbed him.‘Ow!’ he yelped, as I swatted him on his backside.

‘What?’ he said crossly, one hand rubbing his behind.

‘Would you care to repeat what you said just now?’

‘No,’ he said, after a moment’s hesitation.

‘I thought not,’ I said grimly.

It was Sunday, and Keith had been grumpy and irritable since breakfast that morning, making known his displeasure loud and clear. And since he would not take it out on Brad, who was our guest, I had received the main brunt of his ill-temper. After observing the tense exchange between us for a while, Brad had shrugged, and declared that he was going for a run, for which I was thankful, as that accorded me the space and privacy to deal with my brat.

I tipped Keith’s chin up, making full eye contact, and said in a much kinder tone, ‘What’s wrong, honey?’

Keith flushed. ‘I said it was nothing!’

I refused to let him pull away. ‘Brad needs someone to talk to. He is terribly confused right now, and he is feeling lost. Can you understand that?’

His lashes fluttered, and he flushed deeper. ‘Of course I understand!’ Keith muttered.

‘Then why the bratty behavior, Keith?’ I asked, tone stern again.

‘It’s not about Brad!’

‘Oh? I raised my eyebrow. ‘All right then, tell me what it is about then.’

He swallowed and tried to turn his face away. I bent and kissed him lightly. ‘Answer me!’

He looked at me in frustration. ‘Can’t you just leave it?’

‘No. I want you to tell me. Why are you behaving so badly? Do you feel left out?’

He shrugged carelessly and leaned his head down onto my shoulder. He mumbled something unintelligible. I reached up to ruffle his hair. ‘You know he doesn’t have much time with us this visit. He’s leaving tomorrow. And he needs to work out some pretty heavy stuff.’

‘I know that!’

I waited, letting him work it out.‘I … I … don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m just being an ass!’

I swatted him, but more playful than anything. ‘Watch it!’

‘I mean, I like the guy! I really do. But when he’s with you, you are so absorbed with him! You don’t even know I’m there! And when you do, I keep getting sent out of the room, like I’m a stupid kid or I’m in the way or something!’

I felt a pang of guilt. ‘Oh Keith, darling! I am sorry!’ I struggled for the right words. ‘You know I don’t mean ... Damn! It’s just that I thought it would be easier for Brad to share his feelings if there’s just me.’

Keith hung his head. ‘Now I sound like a totally selfish bastard!’

I pulled him to me. ‘No – of course you don’t! You sound perfectly logical and human! I guess I would feel pissed too if I were in your place. Look - bear with us for another day? And I promise I will be more sensitive. I am really sorry! Can you do that? Please?’

He pulled back and gave me a LOOK. ‘Well, I’ll have to think about it. Exactly how sorry are you?’

‘I’ll show you how sorry!’ I said, and wrapped my arms around him and squeezed. ‘I’ll make it up to you, babe. Promise!’ I whispered in his ear.

Just then a phone rang. We looked around and Keith picked up Brad’s cell phone.

‘Keith,’ I remonstrated.

Brad had left his phone behind when he went for his run.

‘Its OK, Brad is expecting this call and he said to answer it.’ Keith winked at me and then said, ‘hello?’

I watched him as he went through a series of ‘yes’, ‘no’, ‘aha’, and then finally, ‘OK, I’ll tell him.’

‘What was that about?’ I asked the minute he hung up.

Keith shrugged. ‘Brad’s call.’

‘I know that was Brad’s call. Who was it?’

‘Some guy – just wanted to pass a message to Brad.’

‘Are you deliberately NOT telling me something?’ I asked, tapping one foot.

Keith looked mischievous. He shook his head at me, wagging a finger under my nose. ‘Dusty, you are prying!’

I gritted my teeth and retired to my study to read the morning papers, leaving the door open. A few minutes later, I heard Brad come in, then the two heads were bent together, conversing in hushed tones. A few times, they looked up and caught me observing them. Affronted, I went back to my paper.

I decided to take the boys out for Sunday lunch. While waiting for the food to come, I casually asked, ‘So who called earlier?’

They exchanged a look which said ‘told ya he wouldn’t last the day’.

I rolled my eyes.‘Very funny,’ I said indulgently. ‘Spit it out!’

Brad hesitated a moment, then made a face and said rather seriously. ‘Well, you see, there was this girl I was dating? Well, she has an uncle.’

‘Aha?’ I said, a little cautiously. My instincts were kicking in.

‘He sort of knows I am gay.’ Brad muttered.

My brows shot up.

Brad continued. ‘Yeah, well, we’ve run into one another a few times … no! Not like that! We’ve never been together, if that’s what you are thinking! We go to the same gym.’

‘Oh, OK. And he knows you are gay and you are dating his niece? And he’s not happy about it?’

‘Yeaaah.’ Brad was hedging.

‘And?’

Brad flushed. ‘Um …’

‘What?’ I asked.

‘He’s gay too, and I think he’s coming on to me.’

I glared at Brad for a moment, then transferred my gaze to Keith, who smiled sheepishly at me.

‘And … what makes you think that?’ I asked.

‘For one, he’s told me he doesn’t think I should date his niece any more. And he’s been calling lately …. That was him earlier.’ Brad finished with a brief smile at me and took a long gulp of his coke.

I felt an impending headache. I looked up gratefully as our food arrived. We ate in silence for a while. I was concentrating on the plate in front of me and thinking hard about how to proceed, and finally came up with ‘what’s his name?’

‘Huh?’ Brad looked at me, chewing.‘What’s his name?’ I asked again.

‘David.’

‘And what does David do?’

‘Carpenter. He assembles and restores old furniture.’

‘And he’s … how old?’

Brad looked at me impatiently. ‘Not that it really matters, and I don’t know for sure coz I never asked. It’s not like we have begun dating you know? You don’t just ask someone how old they are when they call up to say hi. Not exactly very polite, wouldn’t you say?’

I started to look impatient too. ‘But I’d say he is somewhere in his forties … I guess.’ He finished quickly.

I mulled over that, not entirely happy about the age difference. ‘So – is this going anywhere?’

Brad shrugged carelessly. ‘Who knows. Maybe? He’s a nice guy, a little old-fashioned, like you sometimes.’ He grinned. ‘But decent, you know?’

I wanted to say no, I don’t know. I’ve never known with Brad. His universe consisted of rules I didn’t always understand or agree with. I wanted to say hey, be careful, but I held back. He was a grown man after all and lived his own life. I had spent ten years looking over his shoulder and much as I loved him and thought of him still as my baby brother, he needed to make his own judgment in this.

I said, ‘You’ll work it out.’

I saw Keith let out a breath and relax slightly. ‘He sounded decent enough on the phone,’ he said helpfully.

Brad said a little dreamily. ‘Yeah, he’s got a great voice, hasn’t he?’

‘Not as sexy as Dusty’s,’ Keith said loyally, his foot rubbing against my ankle.

‘Flattery works, babe!’ I beamed at my lover, ignoring Brad’s exaggerated choking.

Brad said. ‘Anyway, he called to say he would pick me up at the airport tomorrow. Pretty decent, didn’t I just say?

I grunted. ‘You be careful!’ Yeah, OK - old habits die hard.

‘No worries, Dusty. I’m not the only one who says he’s a decent guy. His niece seems to think so too, and so does his wife.’

This time I choked. Keith thumped my back while I tried to swallow some water.

‘He’s married?’ I gasped, wiping at my eyes.

‘Sorry, ex-wife. He WAS married, yes!’

Keith looked sympathetically at me. Obviously I was the only one surprised.


* * *