“Have you had any other girlfriends?”
“Nah.”
“I suppose ...”
“What?”
“Nothing.” Jason had been thinking that if you'd had to survive on the streets selling your arse, perhaps it was too hard to believe that you could have a normal life with a wife and kids – or a husband and kids – making your house a home. And maybe that's why Keith was so needy.
“Go on. You were going to say something.”
“Just that … we live in a society which is het dominated. So everything we believe in is irrelevant to other people, And whereas they wouldn't try man on man stuff, because it would never enter their heads, we see all these symbols of a happy hetero life around us. You know … marriages, happy het couples, babies, the whole thing of life passages, of watching your kids growing up. So we end up trying it, trying to fit in, be like everyone else.”
“Yeah.” Keith looked forlorn. He added, “I think I might have hurt Esmé.”
“She knew about you, right?”
“Oh, yeah. But all the same, I think she had hopes.”
“Don't we all?”
It was time to go a few doors down the road and start work. On impulse, as they were leaving the café, Jason pulled Keith into a fierce hug.
“And that?” But Keith looked pleased.
“Friends,” said Jason, emphasising the word. “We need to look after each other. I think we both need it.”
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