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CHAPTER FOUR
That night at sunset, Kemper plucked his ritual basket and rug from the front closet and took them to the adjacent indoor garden. He preferred to do his spell work on the beach, but the winds left over from the morning and afternoon's showers were too great and sweeping to do anything outside. Not that the front garden wasn't idyllic. It had a carved stone fountain with a miniature stream running along the front stone wall. Flora was abundant, filling the air with the lush scent of green. There was also a wrought iron bistro table set for whenever he wanted to have tea or a meal there.
He always dressed up for his rituals. Nothing specific, he just liked looking nice for them. Tonight, he wore black: a buttoned-down shirt, slacks, leather belt, and bare feet. And, of course, he was also wearing some lime, lavender, and cedarwood massage oil that he had rubbed over his body to help him with mediation and clearing his mind.
Laying out the rug that was four feet by six feet and woven white silk with ecru patterns, placing it in the middle of the garden was the first thing he did. The rug made it easier to encircle himself in white light when having a large source of the color directly underneath him.
He had recently acquired a magic wand that he wanted to start trying out, so he would be performing a cleansing rite tonight. Kneeling on his snowy carpet, he began unpacking his hamper. Since this was a cleansing ritual, he placed white candles all around in a circle. He liked having other candles out besides the white tapers, so he lit a green candle for prosperity, purple for power, and a blue one for peace.
He finished placing other ritual items around his area, various stones, amulets, and dried herbs, and was at last ready. Kneeling, he struck a wooden match and burned the end of a small sage bundle. When the dried herb was burning with a brilliant orange-red tip, he went around his working area with the smoldering sage. While doing this, he concentrated on surrounding himself with white light and clearing his mind, or as it was called, reaching gnosis. Kemper placed the sage bundle down and began his opening rite.
"Only spirits of love and speakers of truth may enter my circle.
Cleanse my circle of all negativity and fill it with good.
I call to my Ancestors to join me in my circle; thanks to thee.
Earth, Air, Fire, Water!
Of all the powers that be.
North, East, South, West!
Make my magic be!
I speak it, so it is so! I speak it, so it is so!"
Next, he placed his untried wand in front of him. It was about a foot long and as wide as a quarter. Made entirely out of quartz crystal, it was quite beautiful.
He lit the sage bundle again and used a guinea feather smugger to go over the crystal with gray sage smoke. Kemper did this for a moment on all sides. Placing his hands on the wand, he spoke:
"This is my spiritual tool.
For the purpose and use of love and light.
To work only for me and those in my magic circle.
Touch my wand with love,
Thereby cleansing it of all negative energy, leaving only positive.
I consecrate this wand to bring light where there is darkness.
I dedicate this wand to spiritual growth and to bring peace.
This is my spiritual tool.
For the purpose and use of love and light."
Then he opened a tiny circular box and sprinkled salt over it to finish. He would save trying it out for another time. He placed the wand in the window for a moonlight bath.
For now, he decided to just sit and meditate. Meditation always helped him with many trying situations, depending on what he was given insight to. For him, it was like an extremely concentrated thinking time. Sometimes he got ideas for work, for instance, which direction to go on advertising and which area would benefit from it the most. Or occasionally he would get a clearer understanding on an aspect of a ritual or a spell he had been working on.
He was letting his mind roam on the astral plane, when instantaneously, without warning, his feet were standing firm in the middle of an immense forest. He stood completely still, unsure of what to do. This had never happened before. It seemed that he had been transported to another place.
It took Kemper a moment to get his bearings, but he could see that he was standing in a clearing of a diaphanous woodland at night, underneath the full moon directly overhead. There were floating lights around him, but he couldn't tell where they were coming from. From the way the light source moved, he guessed it was a form of fire.
Discovering he had no control over his body, he joined hands with two other people who appeared around him; a man and a woman. They were wearing earth brown floor-length cloaks with hoods over their heads. He could see that the woman had long strawberry blonde tresses, with a soft, kind mien. The man had dark mane and his face had a strong jaw line and inset features. While trying to ascertain what was happening, he had the overpowering feeling that this was a scene from the past, or more so, one of his past lives.
Brilliance flared around them. He could now see the sources of the light were torches outlining the perimeter, and they had blazed brighter and with ferocity when they had clasped hands. Kemper began reciting an incantation, but the words sounded muffled and stretched. It was him though, he was certain. The others had their eyes closed in deep focus, speaking their parts when it came time.
There was a large basin placed on a plinth between them. He could see that there were some herbs, flower petals, blue eggshells, and colorful stones in it, but couldn't make out much else. Suddenly they threw their hands up, still clasped, and from the basin came a beam of intense light that he could not believe. The shaft of light was a pale blue and shot up nearly six or seven feet high.
It was over. The vision was gone in a flash and Kemper was back in his garden.
That was incredible! He had never experienced anything like that before in his mediations. This seemed like a good stopping point to him, so he lifted his arms and said:
"What's done in done.
What's sealed is sealed.
May my magic keep on working
With Goddess's will.
I speak it, so it is so. I speak it, so it is so!"
Kemper rose, blowing out the candles and replacing the ritual components back in his basket. After rolling up his rug and tying it with a red satin ribbon, he deposited everything back in the front cedar closet. He went up the spiral case to his bedroom to undress, in a daze over what had taken place.
The sun was down and there was nothing else left to accomplish for the day, so he put on short cherry red satin boxers. Going to the kitchen, he made himself a roast beef and avocado sandwich and a salad, hardly noticing what he was doing, and wouldn't have been surprised if he had forgotten something as important as the bread his thoughts were so scattered.
He placed his food on the coffee table and had a seat in the living room. He couldn't decide if he should turn on the TV and let his mind relax, afraid of his obsessive tendencies taking over and causing him to be a ball of nerves by the time his guests arrived tomorrow, or reflect on the ritual's lingering supernatural effects now when it was still fresh in his mind. Perhaps he should just nail down the facts and wait to attempt to reveal any hidden meaning later when he was able to put more energy into it.
He knew it was a scene from a past life that was once his; he didn't know how he knew, but the certainty of it was overwhelming. Obviously, he had been a witch then as well. Assuming the man and woman he had been casting with were also witches, there was a good possibility they were a coven.
That got him wondering whether they were the same people that appeared in his reoccurring dreams; it seemed to be a logical correlation. Two people in his past coven, two other people accompanying him in his dream. And in both visions a woman on his left and a man at his right. Perhaps this meant he was to find them again in this life.
The prospect was positively thrilling! To have someone else to practice with was more than he had imagined. And they had immense power, from what he could tell. The only other demonstration of that class of power that he had seen was in his dream.
He wondered if these people-if he was correct in his conjecture about being in a coven-still looked the same and how to find them. He never saw himself, so he didn't know if his appearance was the same or not. People changed appearances and sexes in one life to the next, so would they look similar? He had once read that witches who carried their craft from one life to the next, tended to stay similar in their appearance, but he didn't know if that was true or not. Half of what he read in commercialized craft literature was false, forcing him to be wary of what he read, picking out truths here and there.
Some small light had been shed on a component of his reoccurring dream and it felt great to know that all of his efforts were starting to pay off. He would mull over the other details of his vision later. For now, his brain was beginning to feel like soup with all the possibilities swimming around inside. There was too much to consider and he could feel himself wanting to latch on and pick away at them, so he made himself stop for the moment.
"I think this calls for a celebration," Kemper declared to Augustine, who had joined him on the couch. Going over to the bar, he poured himself a glass of wine to have with his meal. Flipping on the tube, he ate his meal with much enjoyment.
The next morning, Kemper woke up with an odd feeling. He turned and looked at the clock and realized what it was.
"Shit!" he yelled.
Jumping out of bed, racing to get ready as rapidly as he could, he nearly fell on his face in his haste. He threw on a pale yellow tank top, blue-jeans Bermuda shorts, and denim sneakers. He galloped down the stairs, lighting a cigarette at the same time.
Angela was in the kitchen. "I was going to wake you up, but I didn't want to risk a kick." She smiled at Kemper.
"Yeah, yeah!" he mumbled while grabbing his keys and wallet.
Running to the garage, he started up his midnight blue Jaguar, and peeled out of the driveway. He tried his hardest not to speed on the way to the airport, but the speedometer needle kept creeping over the legal limit. He got there just as their plane was pulling to the gate.
"Kemp!" Veronica ran at him full speed.
"Ronnie!" He was enveloped in a hug from her. It had been awhile since he'd seen her, and the last six months had been excruciating for him. But she had insisted that he stay away, because she knew him, knew him better than anyone. Because of that she knew that Kemper needed time to cool off before he saw Todd again, because no matter what Veronica said, he wouldn't have been able to resist punching Todd out for his infidelity. She was, of course, right.
Veronica finally let him go and he saw Justin standing there. "Hi."
"Hi. How was the flight?" he asked while accepting a stiff embrace from him. They had never mentioned their night when they spoke on the phone, but standing face to face with him, that was all he could think of and it appeared to be the same for him.
"It was good," Todd answered for Justin.
"How ya doing, Todd?" Kemper waved to him awkwardly.
"Doing well. Thank you for inviting us here, Kemper. It's nice to get away to someplace fantastic like this." Todd took Veronica's hand. She beamed up at him like he was the only man on Earth. Kemper wanted to puke, but decided to be a supportive friend instead and ignored his queasy stomach, plastering a smile on his lips.
They went downstairs to baggage claim and waited for the luggage to come out.
"I figured that you would be worn-out from your trip, so I thought that we would just hang at the house for the rest of the day. Swim at the beach, and then grill some swordfish. Sound tolerable?"
"That sounds more than tolerable to me, it sounds absolutely marvelous!" Justin grinned at him.
"Us, too." Veronica put her arm around Todd's waist. Kemper had never seen them so affectionate. Maybe this counseling was really helping them.
The foursome drove back to the house, Kemper pointing out a few sights to Justin and Todd since this was there first time to the island. When they reached the house, he took them on a tour. Veronica had seen the house before, but went along with Justin and Todd being unable to unlock her gaze from her husband.
"This, of course, is the kitchen," he said sweeping his arm around the white and blue French country inspired room. Next, he showed them the dining room with its elongated glass table and crystal chandelier. In the living room, he pointed out the carved Chinese wooden entryways and numerous stained-glass windows. He showed them the indoor garden, pool, study, and gym before settling them in the rooms where they would be staying.
Taking Justin to his room last, he went inside. "The bathroom is here, and all of your towels are in the closet. If you need anything at all, let Angela or me know. Angela's my cook; you'll meet her later. She only works part time. I hope you like the room," Kemper rambled. Christ, he looked good in his tropical green polo, but why was his heart beating so fast? It was only Justin.
"I love this room! Did you decorate it yourself? It feels so tranquil in here." Justin didn't notice his ramblings.
"Yes, I did. I'm delighted that you like it; tranquil was precisely what I was going for. Well, unpack and get your trunks on and we'll all go out to the beach."
Turning to leave, Justin grabbed his hand. "Kemper, I just wanted to say thanks for welcoming me here; you didn't have to. You have a spectacular house and I'm very happy to be here." He raised his hand, lightly kissing the inside of his wrist.
"Don't mention it," he whispered, the heat rising to his features coloring them.
He turned to leave again and Justin said, "Hey, we didn't see your room. Can I get a peek at it?"
"Only if you're lucky," he teased.
Pleased with his cute response, he had a sassy smile on his face when he turned to leave, but Justin stopped him keeping hold of his hand. "Then let me see what I can do to change my luck for the better." He kissed him, slowly and softly at first, building it to a low smolder.
Kemper shut his brain off before it started wondering if this was a good idea, and what being with him meant, and let the rush of desire being poured into him from Justin's mouth take him over. "I need you." His mouth moved to his ear, nipping at Kemper's lobe. He didn't know what to say to this declaration, but a response wasn't required as Justin dropped to his knees and began taking off Kemper's shorts. In no time his erection was in Justin's mouth, his head lunging up in down, slurping.
Was it completely awful of him that Kemper's first thought was, "How is he no better at this after all these years?" It was awful, wasn't it? He should just be pleased to be getting head, especially from Justin with their shoddy past.
Forcing himself to put all negative thoughts out of his mind, it wasn't difficult to enjoy Justin's warm mouth and firm lips gliding up and down his length. He was zealous in his enthusiasm to down Kemper, and he could almost swallow him to the root.
So zealous that he got carried away and tried to put a dry finger inside him. "Oh, oh! A little uncomfortable like that," Kemper stressed.
Pulling back, he uttered an, "I'm sorry," before putting his finger in his mouth, and went back to sucking, and a little more gently, plunging a wetted finger inside of him. Crooking his finger, Justin tapped his button. His knees went weak and Kemper had to steel them to keep standing.
This time Kemper wasn't going to hold back. It was nice, and Justin was hitting the right spots, but he wasn't going to prolong this anymore than he needed to. He had company waiting for him, and maybe this hadn't been the best time to start something. Concentrating on the sensations, in a few more minutes he was gushing in Justin's mouth.
Standing, Justin kissed him, his lips moist and overly warm from friction. "Is that a thank you for inviting you here?" Kemper nuzzled his neck.
"Partly," Justin smiled at him, nearly eye-level since he was only an inch taller than Kemper. "But mostly because I wanted to."
"Maybe you will get to see my bedroom." He pecked his lips. "Especially since I really need to be a good host and get downstairs to my guests. I'll have to return the favor later."
"Agh! Fine! But give me a few extra minutes, or I'll be tenting my swim trunks obscenely." He swatted his butt as Kemper left the room.
Kemper went to his room and put on short, blush pink swim shorts. Before meeting up with the others, he sat down on the loveseat in his room and lit a cigarette. He had to play this cool.
The more he thought about it, he realized he could just have a certain kind of relationship with Justin if he wanted. They rarely saw each other, so when they got together, why in the world could they not be very good friends. Lots of people had fuck buddies. All he knew was whenever he saw Justin, his belly did a flip-flop and a slow burn grew within him. It had been awhile since he'd had the companionship of a man, so maybe it was about time again. Even if it was Justin, the ex-love of his life.
The group spent the daylight hours on the seashore swimming, playing volleyball, and having splash fights. Kemper and Veronica even made a sandcastle. So, by the time they went back in the house, they were all beat and famished, the perfect time for a barbecue. Angela had all the fixings ready to go and had already gone without saying hi or goodbye to anyone. She didn't want to interfere, she was always saying.
After Kemper showered, wishing that he had time for a leisurely bath, he slipped on a navy and white polka dot short sleeve shirt, white shorts, and a burgundy leather belt and went barefoot to the kitchen. His head was light and he was unsure if the cause was the sun, exertion, or both. But as he removed the platters of swordfish fillets and shrimp k-bobs from the refrigerator, a thought kept darting around his head annoyingly like a gnat-it was taking some getting used to seeing Veronica so happy without his help. But Kemper didn't care if it was him or Todd that was making Veronica happy as long as it was getting done. But there was still that voice in the back of his mind whispering about Todd, "Don't trust him." Kemper didn't want that whisper to be true, but even if it was, what could he do to remedy the situation?
Nothing.
He knew his limits with Veronica, and how much was too much. And right now with the glow that surrounded her when they were together, Kemper didn't think he stood much of a chance in convincing her not to put too much faith in her husband. That was an impossibility that he could see in his best friend's eyes.
There was also the possibility of Kemper being wrong. Maybe Todd really had changed, having gotten it out of his system and was ready to be a proper man. But Goddess save him if he screwed up again, because only She could save Todd from Kemper's wrath.
He took the platters of food upstairs to the east balcony. There was a view of the crystal azure sea on one side and the lush backyard garden on the other. The dulcet redolence of flowers mingled with the salty shore enticing the senses. Stacking the briquettes, he lit the grill as the others came out.
"The wine is chilled if you want to open it," he called to anyone who would take on the job as he brushed a lemon butter sauce over the seafood. Justin accepted the task and plucked the bottle out of the bucket stand and began removing the cork.
"It all looks fantastic Kemp, and smells even better." Veronica smiled at him.
"It smells superb," Todd echoed his wife's sentiment. "Thank you," he told Justin as he took a wineglass from him and then engaged Kemper in a conversation on whether the Cowboys or the Texans had a better defense this season.
They munched on watercress crab salad on crackers while they waited for the fish to finish up. Veronica turned from where she was standing, gazing out over the blooming garden, "I wish I would have brought my sketch pad with me. Your gazebo is absolutely covered with roses." The flowering back yard was Veronica's favorite and she spent a ton of time there when she came to visit.
"We can get you one tomorrow at the art store in town." Kemper was eager to do anything to encourage Veronica's artistic inspiration. She had confided in him earlier that she had not so much as picked up a paintbrush in months, but then assured Kemper it was only because she and Todd were spending so much time together.
"Maybe, if we have time with all the sightseeing we'll be doing," Veronica murmured quietly.
"You're probably right, honey," Todd interjected. "Besides, you have plenty of doodle pads at home."
"It is just inside town. It will take fifteen minutes at the most. We'll do it first thing in the morning." Kemper knew Veronica was trying to make her want for the art supplies seem trivial, and he knew Todd thought it was. So, Kemper made it priority. Right now, he was the only person in Veronica's life to encourage her in pursuit of her dreams. Veronica had always done the same for Kemper and he wanted to repay her. He knew that Veronica could do whatever she wanted to with her talent, if she could find the heart to try.
After dinner, Kemper sat back and breathed in the delicate ocean breeze they had that evening. Setting his glass on the table, Kemper closed his eyes, a contented feeling sweeping over him like a soft rain.
When he opened his eyes, Justin was watching him.
"I think life in the islands agrees with you, Kemper. I don't remember ever seeing you look this well in New Mexico."
"I have to agree with you on that one, Justin," Veronica joined in, "he never was. I sometimes get mad at him for moving so far away. But I see him here, and I know this is where he belongs."
"Hey, you moved away, too. New Orleans is more than a couple hundred miles from Hobbs." Kemper pointed at her. "So don't chap my ass, okay?"
"Sure I moved, but I didn't move all the way to the Bahamas! You can't drive to the Bahamas."
"Yeah, yeah. I'll go get dessert," Kemper offered. He went down to the kitchen and brought back up a huge tray of fresh fruit and a magnificent sweet dip that Angela had made. There was every kind of fruit a person could wish for-bananas, kiwis, mangos, papayas, strawberries, and pineapple to name a few. Everyone oohed and ahhed as he set the platter down on the table. Todd poured more wine in all their glasses and they delighted in the succulent fruit.
When everyone was full, Todd announced that he and the wife were hitting the hay, giving an insinuating wink. Veronica blushed deeply and said goodnight as she followed her husband inside. Justin turned to Kemper, "Well, what now?" he asked him.
"Too early to hit the hay for you?" He grinned at him.
"Yeah, just a little bit. I noticed your gigantic television downstairs. You up for a flick?"
"Sure, sounds great. You grab the wine and I'll grab the glasses."
They camped out on the couch and popped in a comedy. Halfway through the show, Justin reached over and started rubbing Kemper's feet.
"Are you trying to make me melt into the sofa? You were always so good at this."
"I just know how much you like it." He turned back to the movie as he massaged. Kemper reclined back and gazed at him. This man, whom he used to know so well as a boy, it was still hard for him to grasp that Justin was sitting on his couch, in his home, and that they were friends. In a million years he never would have thought that this picture would come about. It just goes to show how unpredictable life can be, no matter how much intuition you have.
He was glad that they were now friends, though. All the hurt he thought he had let go of, he revealed he had been keeping it tucked away in that dark, damp corner of his mind's attic, the corner he never went into. His friendship with Justin had helped him in absolving those feelings and really let it go this time. That piece of his life was over and he took what he considered necessary out of it. And what Kemper took with him was that no man was ever worth making a fool out of one's self for. He would never again beg any person to stay in his life, especially if they were asking to leave.
After a few conversations on the telephone after their night in New Orleans, he had told Justin of his regret of how he had handled their split, for his absurd pleadings. He had done it more for himself, kind of like closure. And even though he said it with no ulterior motives, he had been secretly hoping that Justin would also convey regret of his coldness to Kemper, but, no such luck.
Justin turned and caught Kemper looking at him. He didn't flinch or shy away, he kept his stare steady. They sat watching each other for a moment and a moment was all that was needed for the heat to build between them. He pulled Kemper's ankles until he was sitting halfway on his lap. Justin touched his hair and face delicately. His caress felt so familiar and new at the same time. There was no awkwardness because, though it had been awhile, they both knew each other intimately already.
Kemper kissed him. He wrapped his arms around Justin's neck and kissed him passionately. Justin pulled Kemper's slender body to him until there was no space even for air between them. The two of them kissed and kissed and kissed until their lips ached. Finally, Kemper pulled away and Justin grinned at him, softly brushing the hair off Kemper's forehead.
"It's just like high school, huh? Making-out on the couch, never being able to make it through a movie." Justin threaded a hand in Kemper's hair and started kissing his neck.
"We used to do a lot more than kiss," he managed to mutter, even though all he wanted to do was groan. He did moan when Justin's hand cupped his ass.
"I plan to do a lot more," Justin spoke through his kisses. He maneuvered himself between Kemper's legs and laid on top of him. Delighting in the weight of Justin pressing on him, it caused his desire to grow more. Kemper grabbed Justin's hips and pulled their groins together.
Sliding his hand up Kemper's leg, up his shorts and inside his briefs, it caused Kemper to arch his back and suck in his breath. Justin stroked him and pleasured him until it was almost painful with need. Kissing his mouth, Justin started to slip off his shirt.
"No," Kemper stopped him. "Not here and not just yet." He couldn't believe his own ears. What was he saying? Justin had successfully turned his insides to marshmallow fluff, stopping seemed impossible.
"Is something the matter? Would you like to go upstairs?" He was practically panting.
"Nothing's the matter. I just don't want to be so easy, I guess. You know, make you wait just a tiny bit longer." He ran his fingers through Justin silky blonde locks. "But I do owe you from earlier today. So please, allow me to return the favor." A sexy smirk perched on his mouth.
"You don't need to tell me twice. I'm yours to do with as you will." Justin trailed a track of hot kisses down his throat.
"Then take your pants off, mister," he ordered.
He jumped to and had his shorts and boxer briefs off in moments. Kemper's mouth watered as his stiff phallus spring free, hard and standing up. He was long, and Kemper could see that his observances from their night together that he was a bit fuller then he was as a teenager were correct. Tossing his clothes on the next cushion, he sat back down.
Kemper moved to the floor, kneeling between his wide spread thighs, eyeing the head that grew ruddier under his gaze. It may have been peevish of him, but he wanted to show Justin how it was done. Holding his member at the base, he rolled his tongue around the head several times and Justin keened. Continuing to swirl his tongue around and around, he lowered his mouth down his shaft. When he no longer had enough room in his mouth for that maneuver, he firmed his lips and pressed a flat tongue along the underneath and kept sliding until he had totally swallowed him whole.
"Oh god, baby!" he exhaled.
Kemper didn't come back up. He stayed just as he was, soft hair tickling his nose, and flicked and undulated his tongue.
"Oh! Oh, yes! Ah! Ugh!" One of Justin's hands stabbed through Kemper's hair and the other grasped the back of his shirt.
When Justin was panting, he came up, stopping just below his head and began swirling it again. He cradled Justin's balls in a hand, massaging them and found them already drawn tight.
"Christ!" he exclaimed when Kemper gave a tug.
Driving back down to the root, he started caressing his cock with his throat by swallowing again and again, as a finger moved to coax his perineum. Justin's erotic moans, his musky taste, his writhing hips was an immense turn on for Kemper and unable to resist, his hand moved to his own rigid member, stroking it over his shorts.
"Kemp! Baby...you're too good! God, I'm going to come already!"
But he was just getting started; he still had more tricks up his sleeve! Trying to take it as a compliment to his skills, he lapped up the hot stream that came shooting down his throat. Smiling because he remembered the taste of Justin's finish as though it were only yesterday that he had savored it, he moved to sidle up next to him on the sofa.
Gasping for air like he had been doing wind sprints, he puffed, "God damn baby! Were you always this good? That was without a doubt the best head I've ever had my entire life. I saw colors!" He put an arm around Kemper's shoulders and squeezed him tight.
Still straining against his shorts, Kemper attempted to subtly rub the tip of his cock. "Would you like some help with that?" he asked, still breathing heavily.
"I think you better catch your breath, sweetie. I'm fine; it'll go down. I'll save it for...later," Kemper hinted at what more there was to share between them.
"Well, don't say I didn't offer." He playfully kissed his nose. "I'm going to take a dip in the pool to cool off." Justin was off the couch, pulling off his t-shirt, his remaining item of clothing, and was halfway across the room before he turned, "Are you coming?"
"No, I think I'm going to go to bed. Make yourself at home, though," he answered.
Justin moved back over to where he was seated. "See you in the morning." He leaned over and gave Kemper an unhurried, sensual kiss, and then to the pool he went.
Kemper lit one of Justin's cigarettes that he'd left on the coffee table and seized a long drag, and then he went upstairs.