Chapter 11
The Prints
'Now how about some coffee? Then we need to finish sorting the prints.' she said more cheerfully a couple of minutes later.
Having cleared the dishes and brewed coffee we sat down again and talked for a while about the selection and then marketing of the photographs as we sipped it. But then, when there was a distinct pause in the conversation I said. 'Have you stayed in touch with your family?'
'You mean with Matthew? Not really, only for family things, a couple of Christmases and then Mum and Dad's funerals. I think he feels much, much more guilty about what happened than I do. Blames himself for it. And of course these days child abuse is such a sensitive issue. Although there's no question of me having been abused, I mean I was actually the instigator, and undoubtedly got just as much pleasure from what we did as Matthew did. But that's not the way society would see it of course.'
'That's a shame, do you miss him?'
'Of course, in a way I do. But I understand, and the last thing I'd want is for all that guilt to bubble up, maybe hurt his relationship with his wife and children. She's very sweet, the kids are nice too, and I know they're very happy. So I just write from time to time, send cards and presents, that sort of thing.'
'And your sister, what was her name?'
'Kerrie, we are closer, though she has a very busy life and we don't get to see that much of each other. In a funny sort of way you actually know her, well, know of her.'
'Me?'
'Mmm, she's a ballerina, it was her hands that you spotted at the exhibition. You said you had seen them before, remember?'
Of course I did, vividly. 'She's your sister?'
'Mmm, small world isn't it. But if you've finished your coffee now let's go and get started on sorting out some of those prints.'
We spent about an hour doing that, selecting and grouping those we agreed had the best chance of being published or shown in the galleries Katherine had mentioned, then sorting out a few that she said she wanted to print or enlarge for herself. 'For my private gallery.' she explained with a grin.
'Do I get to see that sometime?' I asked.
'Oh I don't think you would be that interested Craig. My homosexual friends, I mean the male ones, tend to wet themselves, but I haven't noticed any of those tendencies with you. I'm very glad to say. But if you're really curious of course I'll show them to you. But not until I've included these, you'll be one of the stars, I can assure you of that.'
'Only one of?'
'Well there's a black guy in there, he did have an extraordinary penis, and of course being black makes the photographs particularly dramatic to our eyes. So to many people he's already got top billing. Then there's another guy who was a pure freak, his was so big that he'd only ever found one women who could comfortably take it. It's that one's sheer size that gives it such a visual impact. But for me, yours will be the one I'll look at again and again, I promise you that.' she added in a much softer tone.
'You don't have to look at photographs of me Katherine.' I replied.
'Mmm, that's good, but you might not always be around when I feel in need.'
'And are you feeling like that right now?' I asked, detecting a subtle shift in her voice.
'I admit that sorting through the photographs has started to get me feeling the way I was earlier, yes.' she admitted.
'Come on then.' I said, pulling her to her feet then leading her by the hand to her bed-room.
Once inside she turned and started to undo the buttons down the front of her blouse, but I reached out and stopped her. 'No, let me do that, please.' I said softly. 'But I hope you're not in such a hurry this time, because I want to try to tell you how I feel about you as I undress you.' I added as I took her face between my hands and kissed her.
It was just a light kiss, merely the brushing together of two pairs of lips. Then I did the same to her eyes, kissing each one before moving my lips down over her cheek, then finally nuzzling them against her slender neck. She stood quite still as I did that, doing no more than giving a soft sigh as my lips slipped over her skin.
'I just want you to know something of just how wonderful I think you are. Apart from all the things we have in common, and I don't just mean the physical things. Though they are utterly fantastic. You are the most beautiful woman I've ever known.' I said emotionally. 'Every single part of you is beautiful; your hair, your eyes, your lips.' I added, kissing each in turn before reaching down for one hand and lifting it to my lips. 'And of course your hands, and always miraculous fingers.'
Then, as I began to slowly undress her I continued telling her how beautiful each part was as I uncovered it; her shoulders, her breasts, her gently rounded stomach, kissing and gently stroking each in turn. Although I could feel faint, shivering tremors running up through her body as my caresses continued, and her reactions had grown a little stronger when I kissed and gently sucked her nipples, she otherwise remained quite still, her eyes closed, giving just occasional sighs of pleasure.