Page 13 of Stolen Kiss

Keith had installed an intercom system so if their mum needed him, all she had to do was press a button and he’d hear her voice. Heidi didn’t need to come down, but she wanted to see his place and the recent additions.

Her brother was always adding something.

“I’ll just get changed, won’t be a second,” he said.

Heidi envied guys who could take a three-minute shower, get dressed and be ready in a maximum of six minutes. While she waited, she trailed her fingers over the vinyl records standing on their spine in the far side next to his record player. Before she knew it, Keith was back with damp hair and different clothing. He’d put on trousers and a shirt but no tie. It felt like he had two personalities, one was the surfer dude and the other was a dutiful son who cleaned up for Sunday lunch.

“Are you going to leave that behind,” Heidi asked while he was shutting up the glass doors.

“Leave what behind?”

“The scowl on your face.”

“That’s permanent, sis, goes everywhere with me,” he said with a grin.

“It’s scowlier than usual.”

“Scowlier? Is that a word?”

“I don’t know, we can ask Freya when we get up to the house, she’s the teacher.”

Keith chuckled and drew the curtains. He walked towards her, hooked her around the neck with his arm and they left his home and walked back up the garden.

Entering the house again, the noise levels startled Heidi. She was only gone fifteen minutes and the raucous laughter had notched up ten places. They couldn’t have consumed that much wine in the short time she was gone.

Keith let her go, and they split to walk around the kitchen island on opposite sides, both speed walking to get to the livingroom first. As always with his long leg span, Keith got there first. Hellos and hugs engulfed him from Freya and her parents. Then he went over to where Freya’s grandparents were sitting and he gave them a hug and a kiss.

“Are you okay?” Freya’s grandmother asked cupping his cheek.

Everyone’s eyes swung his way, waiting for Keith’s answer.

“Yeah, Mrs Shaw.”

“You don’t look it,” she answered in her clipped tone.

“Everything is fine,” he answered giving her a smile and holding his hand over hers on his cheek.

“Well cheer up then. It’s Sunday. We’re going to eat and drink ourselves into a stupor.”

Heidi watched as her brother held back what he wanted to say. When he stood, his frown lines were less drawn together.

Lunch was a noisy affair that took three hours to get through. They cleared the dishes, then the board game came out. Cluedo was that week’s choice. The winner of the previous week chose. Heidi, Keith, Freya and Freya’s parents were playing while everyone else watched on.

“I think Professor Plum did it in the library with the rope,” Heidi declared.

She took the small envelope from the middle and slid the winning combination out and thrust her hands in the air.

“Yes,” she shouted.

Keith threw his cards on the board like a poor loser and folded his arms across his chest.

“You looked at my cards,” he said.

“I did not, I won fair and square,” Freya said.

“That means it’s trivial pursuit next week,” Keith muttered but loud enough for them all to hear. “Can I cancel my attendance in advance?” Keith called out.

“No,” came the collective reply.

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