Simon felt relieved when his friend Phill got back home. After all, he and Kate could go on talking until sunset, but it wouldn't be very useful without her husband. So he gladly greeted him and shook his hand. It had been weeks, maybe more than a month, since last time they met, and he was happy to see Phill again. Even given the present unusual circumstances. His friend looked uneasy and when he helped himself to a drink, Simon thought that it was a good idea. Maybe a sip of bourbon could help Phillup relax.<br/><br/>Then he started talking, unsure, blushing, but strong willed and honest, and Simon understood his friend's situation better. Not only he was uneasy and tense. Most important, he had far too much to tell. He had been pushing his fantasies, his frustrations, his erotic ideas somewhere in the back of his brain, and now he was trying to let everything out very carefully, very slowly. Phill was trying to prevent his stream of consciousness from becoming a raging flood. He listened, with an encouraging smile.<br/><br/>And things looked encouraging indeed. Kate was of course surprised, but not insulted, or angry, or whatever. And Phillup looked full of hope and much more relaxed, maybe with the help of his second whisky. Simon pushed the sandwiches tray towards his friend. Lunchtime was a little too early to get hammered, wasn't it? "Have a sandwich, Phill. Whisky doesn't match nicely with an empty stomach..." he said with a smile.<br/><br/>Then Simon answered, his voice was warm and sure. "Yes, my friend. Yes. I know that we can go on with this. And I'll gladly walk this path with you, to see where it goes. No one will get hurt, I promise." He stopped and winked. "Only a little bit of pain, sometimes, just so much that it's arousing!"