Inky White and I

This is a story that involves sex between males. if such a story is offensive, or illegal for you to read where you live, then do not continue, go and surf elsewhere.

This is a work of fiction and in no way draws on the lives of any specific person or persons. If there is any similarity to any real persons or events it is entirely coincidental.

The work is copyrighted (c) by the author and may not be reproduced in any form without the specific written permission of the author. It is assigned to the Nifty Archives under the terms of their submission agreement but it may not be copied or archived on any other site without the written permission of the author.

My thanks to Brian who have read this through and made a number of corrections and suggestions. Any remaining errors, grammatical, spelling or historical or whatever are entirely my fault.

Resume:- After a period of 30years, the school boy lovers the narrator and Inky White have met up again, but both now have their own partners.

Inky White and I Chapter 11.

It was late one gloriously warm, sunny late June afternoon, when I heard the crunch of tyres on the gravel outside my home. I went out, and opened the car door for Inky to get out. Patrick was the driver. Inky and I had a quick hug and a kiss. Patrick got out and came round.

"Let me introduce you to Patrick."

Patrick was not as I had expected a Roman Catholic priest to be. He had black hair with a little grey at the sides, but the outstanding feature was his intensely blue eyes. We shook hands, and we both felt that was not enough, so we gave each other a quick hug. "Welcome to Devon, Patrick. It is good to meet you, having heard so much about you from Inky."

We went into the house. They were eager for the loo and to have a drink. I pointed them to the loos, one downstairs and the other up, and I went to put the kettle on. I gave them a quick tour of the house, and they took their luggage out of the car and up to their bedroom.

"This is very welcoming, Phil," said Inky. "En-suite as well! And a lovely double bed."

"Did you think I'd put you in the room with the couple of singles?"

"Not really."

We went downstairs and out into the garden where there was a table and comfortable chairs. We chatted about their journey, not an easy one - Newcastle to Exeter. They asked me questions about the age of the house, and the view to the east spread out before us, with the sea just visible in the far distance.

It was such a lovely day, and the garden was coming into its full summer beauty. The gap between the spring bulbs and the summer roses was over, and the lupins and peonies were in full bloom. We sat and talked for a while, before I had to prepare the meal. Inky went off to do some unpacking, leaving Patrick sitting back with a look of utter contentment on his face.

That was where Andy found him. "Are you Inky?" he asked.

"No, I'm Patrick."

"I'm Andy, Phil's other half; welcome to glorious Devon, and on a glorious day, too. You're lucky; it isn't always like this."

They shook hands.

"I've just finished work, so I thought I'd pop over and introduce myself, and have my shower over here. Phil said we'd be eating about seven. I stink of the farm."

"Good smell to me. Reminds me of home. My family have a small farm in Ireland. I help out a bit whenever I go back. Keep my hand in mucking out and so on; farming is in my blood."

"Whereabouts in Ireland?"

"County Clare."

"Never been to Ireland."

"A treat in store for you."

Andy looked at his watch. "I must get cleaned up. See you later."

Patrick sat down again, enjoying the warmth and beauty of his surroundings. He was asleep when Inky came back. The two of them sat, one asleep and the other watching some bees busy working over the flowers.

There was a ten minute break in the meal preparations, so I joined them again. Patrick woke, and told Inky about Andy's visit. While we were speaking, Andy returned looking more respectable and smelling sweeter. We continued to sit outside over some drinks.

It was almost a shame to come inside for the meal. I was tempted to change plans so we could have it outside, but I had made an effort, and the table was fully laid in the dining room, with a large bowl of flowers. Andy came and helped me get the food from the kitchen on the table.

We were just about to start eating when I realised we had a priest present. He might expect to say grace, but I never did, being a man of little or no faith. I wondered what to do, so I asked Patrick whether he usually said grace.

"Usually," came the slightly embarrassed reply, "It has been drilled into me since childhood, reinforced by all the years at Maynooth."

Andy's face was a picture of astonishment. That I should ask for grace before a meal obviously shattered every expectation he had of me. Patrick said grace, and to my surprise it was in Latin; he said it with a twinkle in his eye.

I saw a mischievous look creep into Andy's face. "Patrick, may I ask you a personal question? Do you give thanks before you make love to Inky?"

It was now Patrick's turn to look surprised, but a broad grin spread over his face. "I don't, but I ought to. I have a host of reasons to be thankful for Inky, and if you want to know, our love making is a special reason to be thankful." He paused for a moment. "I think I will make up a special prayer of thanks in Latin, then few will understand the particular things I mention."

We all roared with laughter, and got on with eating the meal.

Patrick was soon asking Andy about the farm.

"Don't get him talking about his farm, he'll never stop," I said, laughing.

"I'm interested. You two men of Kent can talk about your school days," said Patrick.

So the conversation split. Inky and I as always had plenty to talk and reminisce about, while Andy and Patrick discussed agriculture. The meal was a success. We all cleared the table, and I made Inky and Patrick go back out into the garden while Andy loaded the dishwasher and I made some coffee. We sat outside in the growing dusk. I detected that Inky and Patrick were eager to get to bed.

"You two must be tired after your journey, so do go off to bed whenever you want."

They looked at each other and exchanged nods.

"I think we'll be off now. Your bed and everything looks much more comfortable than what we have so far put up with at the cottage," said Inky.

"I'll bring you up a cup of tea in the morning."

So with knowing grins all round, they made their way upstairs. It was not very long before Andy and I followed. We had arranged that we would be together each night of the visitors' stay, even though Andy had his ladies to attend to early in the morning.

XXX

I was sleepily aware of Andy getting up about five. He bent over and gave me a kiss before he left the room; I think I muttered a word of thanks before going back into a deep sleep.

I woke fully about seven thirty, and went down to make some tea. I knocked at the bedroom door, which I opened, and went in. Inky stirred, but was alone in the room. The door to the en-suite was open, so where was Patrick?

"Mug of tea, Inky? Where's Patrick?"

"Oh, he's gone off to help Andy with the milking." Inky sat up in bed and took the mug from me. "He's got a lot of farming blood in him. He enjoyed talking agriculture with Andy. In a previous age, and with a different brand of Christianity, Patrick would have made a wonderful eighteenth century Anglican parson, farming his glebe and pastoring his spiritual flock."

"Andy will welcome some company, and will soon get him working."

"Will Andy come over for some breakfast?"

"Yes, we will have two of them pervading the place with the smell of cattle." I looked at my watch. "I must get moving, or breakfast will not be ready for them. Andy doesn't like to waste working time at this stage of the morning."

I left Inky to sort himself out while I went through the bathroom routine and went down to make the substantial breakfast our workers would be wanting.

That day, I took Inky and Patrick round Exeter.

We got back about four o'clock, and Patrick changed and went off to see if he could lend Andy a hand.

"Andy and Patrick seem to have struck up quite a friendship," commented Inky.

"Good; Andy is markedly lacking in gay friends and acquaintances."

"And it will do Patrick good to mix with another gay man who is not a Catholic priest."

We talked further about the number of clergy, Roman and otherwise, who were gay, and the reason for the high percentage.

That evening we ate earlier, and spent longer talking over coffee outside.

XXX

The next morning started much the same as the day before, and again Patrick went round to help Andy with the milking. That day I took them to see some of the sights on Dartmoor. It was another beautiful day, quite hot. Neither of them had been down to the South West before, and were struck with the wildness of the Moor and the richness of the valleys and surrounding countryside.

That evening we went out for a meal in a local pub. It was a good time.

After Patrick and Inky had retired for the night, Andy and I walked round to the other side of the house, and stood watching the very last of the sunset.

"You enjoying their visit?" asked Andy.

"Yes: I think they're enjoying it. It seems to be going well."

"I like them both. I have talked a lot to Patrick. I never thought I'd end up talking so freely about my sexuality to a Roman Catholic priest."

"I thought you only talked farming to each other."

Andy laughed. "No, a lot more than cows and milk yields. Phil, I don't know how to raise this."

I turned to look at him in the face.

"What would you feel if Patrick and I did something together?"

"Did something, as in you fucking him?"

"Yes."

I grinned. "That's a turn around for the books. I've had a good time with Inky in Northumberland, so why shouldn't you do something with Patrick? That's if Inky is happy about it."

"He's going to ask him."

"Same rules as when I went up to Northumberland at Easter."

"Tell you all about it."

"And are you happy if Inky and I do something together?"

"I think we are now both sure enough of our own relationship to trust each other in this developing situation, don't you?"

"Yes, very much so."

We turned and gave each other a long kiss and hug, before going back into the house hand in hand, and so to bed.

About the same time, Inky and Patrick were having a similar conversation.

"You're getting on well with Andy, aren't you?" asked Inky.

"Very much so. Not yet quite so sure about Phil, he seems more reserved, and I suppose I know a lot has happened between you."

"Mostly a very long time ago. But yes, he's a very old friend, and we have a lot in common."

"I wanted to have a word with you about Andy. We've done a lot of talking, as you know."

"And you now think the time for talking is over, and you want some action."

Patrick gave Inky a slightly embarrassed grin, and nodded.

"Go ahead, my Friend. I trust you, I've had fun with Phil, so why shouldn't you have fun with Andy?"

"Will you have fun with Phil again, while we are here?"

"I'd like to. We haven't had the opportunity so far."

"Go ahead. I never thought I would be in this situation, with one lover and thinking of having it off with another, with my lover knowing all about it."

"Well, it will give you something to tell Seamus in Rome when you next email him. He just has his Italian stallion to service."

"Unless there are others he hasn't told me about."

XXX

That night when Andy and I were in bed, he told me more about his conversations with Patrick. "He's a total hundred percent bottom, Phil. Never fucked another guy, though tried once or twice. I can hardly believe it. Usually the 'never done its' are the other way round. Plenty of guys who've fucked another, but never been fucked. I gather quite a lot of Africans and Moslems are like that."

"I wouldn't know. I've never ventured into those pastures."

"Neither have I, but I can read."

"As I may have told you, Inky would like Patrick to screw him from time to time. Maybe not fifty percent of the time each way, but at least on the odd occasion."

"Do you know what has happened when he's tried those few times?"

"Inky told me that when he tried with him, he either came in the attempts, or his cock kept slipping up or down, everywhere but in. But mind you, Inky hadn't been fucked for some years, so he must have been almost virginal."

"Has Inky tried opening himself up as much as possible before trying?"

"I think Patrick is rather defeatist about the whole idea. I gather he tried with Seamus when they were lads, but Seamus was totally happy to be a top."

"And now with the arse of that convenient young Italian priest who works for him." Andy was silent for a while, and I thought he was dropping off to sleep. "We must see what we can do." Andy turned onto his side, and from his breathing I knew that he was asleep.

XXX

The next morning more or less followed the previous two mornings, except that I was awake and up earlier. I took the usual tea to Inky, again he was bleary eyed.

He drank half of his mug of tea. "I suppose our two friends are copulating among the cows."

I laughed. "Not quite yet, as Andy has his ladies to attend to. What's the betting they do before breakfast?"

Inky now laughed. "But why should they have all the fun?" He lifted the duvet. "Pop in."

I got into bed along side him. Immediately my cock hardened.

Inky reached across and took hold of me. "You're just as bad as you always were."

"And I suppose yours is already like a stick of rock." I took hold of him, and he was every bit as hard as I was. "I thought so."

We got close to each other, and gave each other a hug and many kisses.

"I suppose you want me to do some screwing this morning?" I asked.

"What crude language for so early in the day; but yes, that is exactly what I do want. Nothing has been that way since we were in Northumberland."

"I think it is about time you introduced some versatility to your friend Patrick."

"I've tried."

"I wonder if Andy could do it. I will suggest he tries."

"I would be pleased if he would, and even more pleased if he succeeded."

My hand began to stroke his buttocks, and then my index finger began to explore his crack. There were murmurs of appreciation.

"You always did that well, Phil. I really want you."

"Good." I gave him a special kiss. "Then you shall have me, deep in there."

"I've got some lube." He lubed himself up, and handed some for me to lube up my cock.

"How do you want it?"

He rolled over onto his back and pulled his knees up, exposing himself.

"You look as enticing as you did that first afternoon after school."

"I've often wished I'd been a virgin for you that day."

"Same here. Though our efforts might not have been so successful." I moved into position. I held my cock for a brief moment on the threshold. There was a little resistance, and then I slid in, right in, in one movement. For some reason our love making was frenetic that morning. It was not lingering like it had been in Northumberland, but much more like the first time. It had been a long time since I had thrust away so hard and roughly as I did that morning. Inky responded, obviously enjoying it. I was quite quick in cumming.

Inky squeezed my limp cock out of himself. "My turn now!"

Very soon it was me on my back and an equally rough Inky pounding the daylights out of my arse. He too was fairly quick in depositing his load.

He pulled out, panting, and we collapsed along side each other.

"That was wonderful," said Inky.

"Not bad for a couple of fifty year-olds."

We lay together for about a quarter of an hour.

"The workers will soon be wanting their breakfasts," I said.

"They will be additionally hungry this morning."

I went through the bathroom, and was soon downstairs preparing breakfast.

Inky and I had finished preparing breakfast when Patrick and Andy came in. The look on their faces was intriguing. It was a look of pleasure, with a slight note of uncertainty.

"Did you two consummate your relationship?" asked Inky.

"Yes, my dear, over a bail of straw," replied Patrick.

"And it looks as though it provided considerable mutual enjoyment," added Inky.

"And it's given us both a good appetite, so where's the grub?" demanded Andy.

"Just coming," I said. "Inky and I have some information for you both. We resumed our conjugal relations earlier, to our mutual pleasure."

"I thought you two would be at it as soon as our backs were turned," commented Andy.

"When the cat's away.......," muttered Inky, and we sat down to eat.

"I have a proposal to make," announced Patrick. "Inky and Phil have resumed from where they left off in Northumberland, and Andy and I have started. That leaves all of us with a relationship not started, so I suggest we sleep with a different partner each night. Starting tonight; Andy and Inky in one bed, and Phil and I in the other. What do you think?"

"Patrick, what a suggestion coming from a Catholic priest! What would BeneXVI say if he knew?"

"I'm not going to tell him, he might want to come over again to join in."

We all laughed and got on with our breakfasts.

I made a point during that day of being with Patrick as much as possible. We talked a lot, and I thought I got to know him a lot better. I learnt a lot about the Roman Church, and about training for the priesthood. He also told me a lot more about his days as a youngster, and especially about Seamus. I told him my story. We had both heard quite a lot about each other from Inky. He had a dry sense of humour, all spoken in the soft warm accents of County Clare in the Republic.

Patrick helped with the clearing away after the evening meal. It was obvious there was some preparing for a night together. There were little touches. When we were ready to join the others, we exchanged a quick hug and a kiss.

"Looking forward to spending the night with you," he whispered in my ear.

"I think I have got to know you a lot better today. I'm looking forward to discovering more about you."

We went and joined the others. Andy and Inky were sitting on one sofa, and by the rapid movement as we entered it was obvious they were doing something.

"Do carry on," said Patrick, "Phil and I have just had a nice talk, concluding with a hug and a kiss."

"It does seem a bit strange to be preparing to spend the night with my love's ex," said Andy.

"And what about me, I'm about to spend the night with my ex's present love?"

We all laughed, and all felt more relaxed.

Patrick and I sat on the other sofa, and immediately held hands. We talked all together for about half an hour.

"Who's going to make the first move upstairs?" asked Patrick.

"You are, I should think, from that horny look in your eye," said Inky.

"Me?" exclaimed Patrick with mock innocence.

Patrick and I got up and made our way upstairs, and the other two followed closely.

When we were ready to undress and get into bed we looked at each other, both slightly unsure now it came to it. We grinned at each other, like a couple of uncertain school kids.

"How do we start?" asked Patrick.

"Where we were downstairs?" I sat on the edge of the bed, and Patrick joined me.

"First time with a man is always a bit difficult. I know I found it so when Inky and I first went away to his cottage."

I put a hand on his knee and rubbed it. I soon saw a mound appearing in his jeans. "That appears to be doing something to you."

Patrick now put his hand on my crotch. "And you seem to be ready for action."

"Oh yes. I've never made love to an Irishman or a Roman Catholic priest."

"Two birds with one stone?"

"I would have thought 'with one fuck' would have been more accurate."

We lent towards each other and kissed. As if by agreement, we fell back onto the bed. Patrick moved closer to me and began to undo my jeans. Soon his hand was in, feeling my equipment.

"Going commando, are you?"

"I wanted to reduce the obstacles to an absolute minimum for you."

"Inky tells me you're cut."

"That's correct, is that a problem for you?"

"No, just I think I've only seen pics of cut cocks. There are very few in Ireland, and were certainly none among my contemporaries at the school or at Maynooth, as far as I know."

"When it's hard, it looks much like any other cock, there is less foreskin to move around, but usually it can only clearly be seen a guy's cut when the tide is out."

Patrick laughed, "So I'll not see any difference now?"

"No. Get it out and have a look."

Patrick got my cock out from the jeans. "Very nice." He bent down and put it into his mouth. He gave me a good suck, but I had to stop him as I didn't want to cum then. I knew he'd want me to fuck him, and I am not as into quick succession cummings as I was when I was younger.

It was then my turn to get at his family jewels; but perhaps that is not the best metaphor for a celibate Catholic priest! (Join with paragraph below)I pulled his cock out into view. It was a decent size, and I immediately thought what a waste of a good cock in that, though available for a good blowjob, it did not give Inky what he would really have liked. I gave him a good suck, in the process of which he took my shirt off and removed his own.

"I think we should remove all our kit, don't you?" said Patrick.

We stood up and undressed. We were now able to see each other in our full naked glory. We both clambered onto the bed and into each other's arms. Patrick was a very gentle love maker; there was none of the frenetic activity that there was sometimes with Inky. Patrick's kisses were soft, his touch gentle, yet strongly arousing.

"You know I'm a bottom?"

"Yes, Inky told me."

"Is that all right with you?"

"Of course." My hands fondled his buttocks, and then my fingers began to explore his anus. He squirmed and groaned with pleasure. He reached over to get the lube which was open on the top of the bedside table. He prepared himself, and handed the lube tube to me. He rolled onto his back and pulled his knees up onto his chest, exposing himself fully. I shuffled on my knees into position, placed the head of my cock against him, and began to push. I slid into him easily. He gave a great sigh, and closed his eyes with an expression of bliss on his face.

"That's what I like, Phil. Inky said you were good, and you are."

"I have done it once or twice in my life time."

"You can do it to me more than just once or twice."

"What would Inky say?"

"He'd be happy with it, as long as it wasn't too frequent."

I began to thrust slowly in and out. My hand went to his cock, which was standing out hard and strong. I watched him carefully, working towards a mutual climax. I almost did it; he was a mere thirty seconds before me, which I always consider good going.

We cleaned up, and lay together chatting for some time before going to sleep. I think it was about three o'clock when Patrick's hand began to explore my genitals, and we again made slow languorous love. When I woke about six o'clock, he was gone. I wondered if he and Andy would be having some fun when they had dealt with the ladies, or whether Andy's night with Inky, and mine with Patrick, had emptied them of their sexual reserves of energy. I rather doubted it.

XXX

The pattern for our days and nights was now established. Patrick helped Andy with the milking, while Inky and I got breakfast and prepared for the rest of the day. Then Patrick, Inky and I went off for the day. Andy was unable to join us because of working on the farm. Having a dairy herd was a great tie, with milking twice a day. On a couple of days he did get a friend to come in and do the afternoon milking, so he could come out with us. Each evening we slept with a different partner. I had never been involved in anything like it since the fun days as a school boy, and I think it was the same for the others.

One night when Andy and I were together, we came up with a plan.

The next night I was to be with Inky. We went up to bed, and carefully watched the time. The other two followed us upstairs shortly after. After forty minutes Inky lubed himself up very thoroughly, and knelt on the bed, with his feet hooked over the edge. I lubed my cock and penetrated him, but kept still. We both had our backs to the door, which however, we could see in a mirror. After a few minutes, we saw the door noiselessly begin to open. I began thrusting at Inky. The door opened, and Patrick with Andy slightly behind him stood naked, with very hard cocks, watching.

"What do you two peeping Toms want?" I asked.

"We thought we'd see how you two were getting on," said Andy.

"Well, you can see, I'm busy giving Inky a good hard fuck." I continued.

I noticed that Andy's hand was on Patrick's cock, wanking it gently, more to keep him hard than to make him cum.

Andy guided Patrick closer to the action.

"I don't think I have ever seen two men at it, except on a video," volunteered Patrick.

"It dead easy really," I said. I pulled right out of Inky and went back in; I did this several times, much to Inky's delight. "Why don't you have a go?" I said to Patrick.

He began to say "No." As I pulled out I took hold of his cock. Andy was right behind him now, gently but firmly pushing him forward. I guided Patrick's cock between Inky's buttocks and aimed the head for the target. Andy was looking over Patrick's shoulder, and seeing the line up was right, continued to push Patrick forward. There was no way he could get out of it. I flattened my hand so Patrick's cock was wedged between my thumb and index finger. His cock could not slip aside. At the last moment I pulled my hand away and groin and buttocks met, and Patrick's cock was definitely deep in Inky.

"Thank's Pat, it feels great to have your cock in there. It fits perfectly."

"I don't know that it can be called a gang rape, when I'm doing the fucking, but now I'm in it feels good."

Andy kept close behind Patrick, and soon had his cock deep into the Irishman.

"Wow, I'm a Guinness sandwich," said Patrick.

"Just keep still for a few moments and enjoy it," said Andy, "Inky wants you in there for as long as possible."

After a few minutes Patrick began to move. Andy kept his hands rigidly on Inky's hips, allowing Patrick room to move but not to slip out, so that when Patrick thrust into Inky, Andy's cock moved into a back stroke, and when Patrick went into back stroke Andy's cock went back in.

I was superfluous in all this activity, so I got my camera and took a lot of pics. "I'll send these off to the Vatican!"

Patrick began to enjoy what he was doing.

"Now, do you think you'll be able to do that when we are alone together?" asked Inky, from the the pillow into which his face was buried.

"I'll certain try."

"It might not be so easy to get in without me there. I had opened Inky up so that your cock was pushing to get into an already open hole. That's why it was easy, that's why we did it this way."

"So all this was a put up job, all carefully planned. I think it was a form of rape."

"A form which you have enjoyed, and has introduced you to a new sexual experience," said Andy. "You should be kicking yourself for not persevering before. Your cock should be able to find its way blind-fold into Inky's delectable arse."

"Inky, have you got a dildo?" I asked.

"No, why?"

"Get one, and prepare yourself with it until Patrick gets the hang of things."

"Will do," came the muffled reply from Inky.

Patrick gave Inky a good fuck, who then fucked me, and I fucked Andy. We were all exhausted when we got down to the business of going to sleep. I know we all started off on the same bed; about two o'clock I woke and went into the bed in the other room, and about four a bleary-eyed Inky joined me.

XXX

The Northumbrian duo left the following morning. Andy had been over to the farm to see to his ladies, but came back for breakfast. It was then that Andy made a suggestion. "What about the four of us getting away for a week in the back end in the sunshine? Somewhere like Gran Canaria; I hear there is a lot going on there."

"Haven't you had enough this last few days?" I asked.

"Yes, for now; but that will be then, months ahead." Not sure of this sentence

"Can you leave your ladies?"

"I can pay to get someone in for a week. I think I can justify that; I haven't had a real break since my honeymoon."

Inky and Patrick were enthusiastic, so it was agreed we would rent an apartment for four, with two double beds. "Or one big enough for the four of us," said Patrick.

We laughed, and again threats were made to write to his boss in Rome.

The car was loaded, and we stood outside in the warm sunshine.

When it came to saying goodbye to Inky, we gave each other a long hug.

"Thanks, Phil, for everything. Thanks for getting back in touch. We go back a long long way. I am very fortunate to have you and Patrick, and now Andy as well."

We kissed.

They got into their car, and drove away, waving hands out of the car. Andy and I turned towards each other and smiled.

"I must finish cleaning up after my women."

"And I have a lot of clearing up to do, getting this place straight. I will pop over for a sandwich later."

I spend the morning dealing with a mass of sheets, duvet covers, pillow cases and towels, and more. The debris of sexual activity, in our case empty lube tubes, had to be removed from the bedside tables. At the end of four hours continuous work, the place looked reasonably tidy. My Mrs Mop would be coming in the next day, so the actual cleaning of the house could be left to her.

It was one o'clock when I went across to the farm. Andy was in his kitchen, preparing some sandwiches and a pot of tea.

We took our lunch outside and sat in the shade under an apple tree. We ate in silence.

"I like your Inky."

"Good: and you appeared to like Patrick too."

"Yes, he knows one end of a cow from another. He didn't need to be taught like a professor friend of mine."

I gave him a gentle punch on the arm. "I am glad I am back in touch with Inky. I value the friendship with him. He is certainly my best friend, but I could not live with him. For some reason or other the love of my life is a Devonian farmer, who keeps a harem of women, to whom he is devoted. But I will be wanting to be with him until the shadows lengthen, the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done."

Andy put his arm round me. "Very poetically put. Where are we sleeping tonight?"

"Your place. But just a good cuddle, and no sex, for a night or two."

"My thoughts exactly. I think we must be beginning to get old."

I gave him a kiss, and got up to go and start preparing a series of lectures for the autumn, and Andy went off to see to his ladies.

XXX

Jeffrey Fletcher at jeffyrks@gmail.com