"I'm a little afraid of what you might think of me now," Kat said. There was a genuine hint of uneasiness in her voice.

"I think maybe I haven't been creative enough with you!" I said. "Come here."

At the base of the stairs, I pulled Kat to me and in a deep, intense kiss. I decided to take a risk.

"Ask me about Jess sometime," I said.

"Who's Jess?" she asked.

I laughed. "I didn't mean right now," I said. "Let's save it for the flight home. Jess was someone I was with for quite a while. You might say she was to me what Patrick was to you."...