"That's a good idea. I'd like to keep an eye on him."
"You're a good man, Simon Dawson.” Patrick leaned in and gave him a quick kiss, a soft press of lips. “With all the crap I'm bringing into your life, you still have time to help people who aren't even close friends. We're lucky to have you in our lives."
"Firstly, you don’t bring crap into my life. You bring so much more than that, things that make me very happy. I wouldn’t have it any other way. And secondly,I'mthe lucky one. I have you." He squeezed Patrick’s hands.
"Oh, you big softie."
Patrick was smiling, but his earlier comments came back to Simon, along with a flash of worry. "But seriously, how are you doing, Patrick? You mentioned being under a lot of stress. I know things haven’t been easy these last few months."
Patrick smiled and waved his hand. "Don't listen to me. I was overreacting. Just a bad day today, that's all. Nothing important; just the usual stuff. Crap at work, you know?"
Simon could sense Patrick didn’t want to dwell on his problems, and he had a feeling it wasn’t work that was truly bothering him, but he gave in anyway, letting Patrick steer the conversation to whatever he felt comfortable talking about. "How about we get dinner going and you can tell me all about your crappy day?"
"There's nothing much interesting to tell. It'd be really boring, not like the exciting stuff that happens to you at work," Patrick said as he rose from his chair.
"Hey." Simon stood and pulled Patrick toward him by their still joined hands. "How about you let me be the judge of that? I don't find anything about you remotely boring."
That earned him another smile, this one more genuine that reached Patrick’s eyes.
