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“Sure, Pop. What’s up?”
His father looked pained, as if he didn’t quite know what to say to his only son. He finally took a deep breath, pinching his nose between his thumb and forefinger. “I know you’re a grown man now, but must you really flirt so blatantly in front of your mother?”
Keith had the grace to look chagrined. “Right. Sorry about that, Pop.”
“What you do with your time is your business, Son, and who you do it with.” At this he grimaced before he continued. “Well, that’s your business as well, but airing it out like that in front of your mother.”
Keith held up his hand in mock surrender. “Are we really going to pretend mum is a prude who had no clue what I was talking about?”
Keith’s father looked at him carefully before he burst out laughing. “No, I suppose we can’t. Your mother is one hell of a woman, son.”
He gazed over at his wife who gave them a small wave as she continued to chat intently on the phone. Keith rolled his eyes and pretended to gag. “No offense, Dad, but I’d really rather not hear about you and mum in those terms.”
“Eh?” His father turned around to face him, and a wicked grin crossed his lips. “Sure you don’t want to hear the details then?” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.
Keith shuddered. “I’m good, I’ll pass.”
Roger laughed as he patted him on the back. “Whatever happened to that girl-Liesel, was it?”
Keith Roger hadn’t thought about Liesel in almost five years. Not since they were both eighteen and in love. He remembered her clearly now that his father had mentioned her. It was as if by saying her name, he had conjured her up, and Keith could almost see her there, standing right in front of him in her summer dress with her blonde hair reaching her waist, her blue eyes shining as she laughed at something he said.
“Liesel? Dad, I haven’t seen her since we were eighteen.”
“Really? That’s a damn shame. She was a fine one.”
Keith gave him an amused grin. “We were so young back then Dad. How would you know?”
“When you know, you know son, and believe me even at that age, you can tell.”
Keith knew his father was right, but he would never admit it because admitting it would mean that his father was right with his old fashioned notions about love, relationships and intimacy. But Keith knew, of course. He knew it from the minute he set eyes on her. His heart had skipped a beat that day, and he knew he couldn’t rest until he found out who she was, and how he could make her his.
“Do you guys want to come and stay with me?” Keith wisely changed the subject as the memory of Liesel still lingered in his mind.
“Oh, no that’s alright. Your mother and I, we got a room at this very fancy hotel-your mother will remember its name-and we’re staying there.”
“You sure you don’t want to stay with me?” He finally spotted a cab, and he hailed it down.
“Yes, yes, I’m sure. I want to treat your mother to a nice vacation with champagne, and chocolate covered strawberries.”
“Too much information again, Dad.”
Keith’s mum walked towards them as she finished the phone call. “Alright, boys. What did I miss?”
“I was just telling Keith all about my plans to ravish you tonight.”
Bridget looked absolutely appalled as she slapped his arm away. “Roger, not in front of Keith.” A small blush tinted her cheeks as she shook her head at her husband’s antics.
“He’s old enough darling.”
They slid into the back and continued their playful banter. Roger was torn between wanting to wrench the cab door open and race down the street to forget he ever heard his parents flirting and wanting to listen to them just a while longer because despite his insistence that they should stop because they were disgustingly cute, he actually quite liked hearing them.
Even though he didn’t want, nor did he believe he could have that love himself, he was happy that his parents managed to find it together. His mother was a fantastic woman, and his father was an amazing man, and they both deserved happiness together.Even if it made Keith sick to his stomach.
They stopped outside the hotel a while later, and his parents waved goodbye as they got into the big brass double doors.
When Keith got home, he groped around for the light switch that illuminated his spacious bachelor pad. He walked to the fridge and pulled out a beer, which he downed in one gulp. He checked his watch and realized he’d better get to bed because he had a meeting with his manager the next day.
He wanted to discuss his public image, and his need for a publicist.
