"What do you mean?"

Keith glanced over from the bedroom doorway. Sounds of his family drifted in from outside – his mother in the kitchen, his father in the den, his youngest sister outside in the yard destroying her toys.

"What if she wants you to kiss her?" repeated Watts.

Keith just stared.

"Come on, I'm serious" Watts said, with a hint of exasperation in her voice.

"Well…" mused Keith, "in that case, I guess I'm just going to have to kiss her"

Watts moved from the window and walked over to the bed. She lifted the pile of clean canvasses, put them on the floor, and sat down.

"Look, I didn't put all this time and effort into tonight to have you blow it just because you're too vain to admit you're not the king of male sexuality" she said. "Amanda Jones is no minor leaguer who'll be swept off her feet at the touch of your amateur lips. This babe has plenty of battle scars."

Keith glanced over at his friend with a nervous grin.

"Thanks, but I think I can handle it"

Watts shrugged.

"Hey I'm not knocking you. I just think that, maybe, you should consider whether or not you can deliver a kiss that kills."

Keith hesitated, fresh doubt washing over his face.

"You think I can't?

Again, Watts shrugged.

"If you say you can, you probably can."

Keith didn't look convinced.

"Well, I'm no expert"

Watts waved her hands to forestall any further comment.

"It's fine. Don't worry. I was just going to offer to work on it with you, that's all. But if you're comfortable…."

Keith's brow creased in thought.

"How do you work on it?" he asked.

Watts smiled, and gestured him over towards her. Closing the door, he walked over towards where she sat.

"Pretend I'm a girl, Okay?" she replied. "I mean – pretend I'm her."

She slipped her jacket off one shoulder, and tilted her head to one side in what the movies always called a coquettish way.

"Amanda…" she simpered in her best girly voice. "It's a big stretch, but try it."

Keith shrugged. He could handle this.

"Kneel down" she instructed, and Keith dropped to his knees so that their eyes, and lips, were on the same level.

"Now" said Watts, "what do you do with your hands?"

"Depends" replied Keith, a little nervous now.

"No it doesn't. They go on her hips" said Watts.

"Okay"

Watts glared at him.

"So do it!"

"Do what?" asked Keith.

"Put your hands on my hips."

Keith tentatively put his hands gently on her hips. Watts gasped in frustration, grabbed his hands, and shoved them more forcefully around her.

"Look into my eyes" she commanded.

Keith did so, but then couldn't help but start laughing. A glare from Watts silenced the laugh.

"Look" she complained, "I don't have to do this. Grow up a little, will you?"

Watts then reached her hands up around his neck.

"She'll probably do this" she suggested.

"How do you know?" asked Keith, knowing that his friend had rarely, if ever, been in such a situation.

Watts looked at him, and put the maximum amount of sarcasm into her voice.

"I watch a lot of movies, okay? Now… close your eyes."

As Keith did so, Watts moved her face closer to his. She gave her suddenly dry lips a quick lick, her breathing suddenly shallow and hesitant. She paused for the briefest of moments, and was about to close the connection, when he opened his eyes.

"Keep your eyes closed!" she almost yelled.

"But you've got your eyes open…" Keith said.

"I'm just seeing if you look stupid" she replied.

That was another possibility Keith hadn't considered.

"And?"

"You're fine…."

Keith closed his eyes again, and Watts now knew that it was time. She gently put her lips against his.

Suddenly, everything happened in slow motion. His fingers tightened their grip on her, pushing through the denim-clad hip into her flesh. Her grip on the collar of his shirt held him in place, whilst her left leg raised and curled around behind his back.

Her mouth opened slightly, and she was surprised to feel his tongue brush across her teeth and lips. How far would he let this go? Opening her mouth wider, she slowly joined his tongue with her own, and the intensity of the kiss rose another notch.

Suddenly it was too much for her, and the risk of her life-long feelings spilling out became all too real. Letting go, she quickly stood, expecting him to do likewise.

Watts was surprised when he didn't move.

In truth, Keith couldn't move for two reasons. Firstly, the kiss had affected him more than just emotionally. There was an obvious, physical response to the kiss that would be all too apparent were he to stand right now. Secondly, it was clear to his senses just how much the kiss had affected her as well. In standing, she had brought her crotch to the level of his face, and there was a distinct aroma of arousal hitting his nostrils.

Keith still had his hands around her hips, and the urge to pull her towards him and bury his face in her scent was overwhelming.

Glancing down, Watts became aware of the direction of his gaze. She knew very well how she had reacted to the kiss – the kiss she had waited her whole life for. There had been other times recently when she had felt the excitement build, felt the nerves prickle and tighten, felt the moist warmth of her response. Most recently, when they had realised the truth behind the date, they had lain on her bed, side by side, both thinking about the ordeal to come. She had felt his arm against hers, and his weight on the mattress caused her to roll slightly towards him. He had come straight from work, and the familiar 'Keith' smell of oil, gasoline and auto fumes had been overpowering.

By comparison, this was on a whole new level.

Keith suddenly stood, as if he realised that the moment had lasted far longer than such moments should last. The action caused Watts to stumble back slightly, and as her calves hit the bed, she again sat.

This simply reversed their positions. Which didn't help matters.

Watts was now faced with the true indication of Keith's arousal, and despite her best intentions was unable to turn her face away.

In the past, her fantasies about Keith had rarely strayed far from the purely romantic. She had not allowed herself to think too deeply about what it would be like – what he would be like. Her own desire had been enough to cope with, and excessive thoughts of his body, his shape, his size, simply made things worse for her.

Now she could see the straining bulge in his pants, and whilst that was no dependable indication of size, she knew that he would certainly measure up to any needs she had.

Watts also knew that she had to get out of there. Tonight was too important to him, and she couldn't – wouldn't – cross any self-imposed boundaries, no matter how difficult this was.

She stood, and headed to the door.

"Lesson's over. You're cool" she said over her shoulder.

Suddenly it was just Keith in the room. What had just happened? He tried to process the thoughts, but a glance down at the clock made him start.

"Oh shit, I gotta get ready!" he whispered.

Outside the house, Watts was also aware of the time. She couldn't believe that the last five minutes had actually happened, and that it had all taken less than a day.

She was grateful for the cool air and the chance to be alone, as she turned from the house and started to run for home.