Five Years Later
Part 63
Considering the timing when Blaine called back, he got to speak with Santana who was more than happy to share the news with Blaine. Just as expected, he was thrilled for her and Santana filled him in on which part it was for at Rachel's request. Knowing that, Blaine was happy that his guess was correct and couldn't wait to share that news with Sebastian later that evening. He then asked if Thad knew yet to which Santana explained that Thad was in lab but Rachel left him a message to call her. Blaine then proceeded to tell Santana should Rachel need an accompanist later in the day, to give him a call as he'd be more than willing to play for her.
After getting off the phone with Blaine, Santana wondered if Rachel was going to tell Kurt what was going on after everything that had happened recently. Even though she'd gone to Thad first, Rachel had told Santana about how Kurt had reacted, specifically how he spoke about Jean-Baptiste. With everything Kurt had been told about Jean-Baptiste after the New Directions loss at Nationals, he never understood how Blaine could befriend him. But that didn't shock Blaine as it was along the lines of Rachel and Jesse's friendship, something Kurt didn't understand as well.
Once Rachel was out of her shower, Santana told her about Blaine's call and how thrilled he was for her and his offer should she needed an accompanist later in the day. Expecting her to jump on it knowing she loved her time with Blaine. Rachel surprised Santana saying she had two available, but appreciated Blaine's offer. But she wasn't going to intrude on his time with Sebastian even knowing they were going away that weekend. The fact that Blaine had little free time as it was, the offer meant the world to her. Rachel was about to ask what Santana's plans for the day were but that was answered without saying a word once there was a knock on the door and Jordan was on the other side.
With Jordan being a reporter, the two were able spend more time together with their unorthodox schedules than one might expect. Santana was pretty quick to share Rachel's good news with Jordan who gave Rachel a big congratulatory hug. Having so many people around her so proud for getting so far, was giving Rachel an extra dose of confidence. One of the biggest reasons she struggled so much after Funny Girl was that if felt as though everyone was against her even though she knew they weren't. But only having a few people supporting you certainly took its toll, yet now she had such an amazing support system around her.
Being in an early lab, Thad was surprised to see how many messages he had when they were finally given a break. One thing that instantly caught his attention was that he had more than one message from Rachel which was unusual. While he'd been warned that she could be a bit high maintenance, it was rare for him to ever have multiple voicemail messages from her, especially since she was well aware of his schedule. So after listening and hearing how giddy she was and that she needed to talk to him. He was surprised when he heard that she'd try and reach him later that day. Something about the two seemed so contradictory, that he decided to give Blaine a call and see if he knew what was going on.
Luckily for Thad, he ended up catching Blaine between classes so he had time to talk. Since Thad rarely called during school hours, Blaine had a feeling that he wanted to talk about Rachel. But when he was hit with the question of what was going on with her, he was a bit confused till Thad described the voicemails from her. "I know I shouldn't probably be telling you this, as it's her news, but…I'm going to go out on a limb here as I know you have a free block of time coming up." Blaine told him knowing Rachel would love to see him and she always rehearsed in the same space. "Rachel made the last round of callbacks."
"Are you fucking serious?" Thad exclaimed earning him looks from everyone around him. "Why the hell wouldn't she tell me that?"
"Because I'm a lot like her and it's not something I would've wanted to leave on a message. I mean more than once with everything going on I've done the same thing to Bas. The only reason I told you is I know once she gets to rehearsing, she's going to hole herself up in that room till she feels she's ready." Blaine told him as he found a quiet spot to work while talking with Thad. Now that his first single had been decided, Vincent had sent him possible ideas for the video and he wanted Blaine to start going through them.
"Is that your not so subtle way of telling me I should go see her during my break if I don't have studying to do?" Thad asked him, not caring that people were staring considering the huge smile on his face didn't seem to go with what he was saying.
"That's precisely what I'm telling you."
"How was she when you spoke with her?"
"I haven't yet; I spoke with Santana as Rachel was in the shower." Blaine replied. "Hell, I heard about this from Jean-Baptiste before I got Rachel's call."
"Speaking of, please thank him for sending you that video of her singing."
"I will, as I certainly appreciated it as well. Just remember to not burst her bubble though." Blaine said as he continued to read. "Let her give you the big news."
"Will do, as I know how important this is to her." Thad told him. "Now, I'm going to get going as I need to head back to lab and I'm sure you have things to do as well."
"I do actually." Shortly after Blaine replied, their call ended since they both had things to take care of. After slipping his phone back into his bag, Blaine started to truly read through possible video scenarios. Thankfully, Vincent had warned him at the beginning that some of these scenarios were probably things he was going to hate, but he had to include all possibilities. When reading some of them, Blaine was pretty certain whoever came up with them, hadn't listened to the song in its entirety. Considering the theme behind the song was embracing life upon finding what makes you truly happy, finding a concept shouldn't be too hard. Yet some that he was reading made no sense to him whatsoever.
Even though he'd written it and recorded it, Blaine grabbed his headphones from his bag while also grabbing his IPod to give the song a listen while going through the list. Once it began to play, Blaine wondered what Sebastian was going to think considering the song was based on their relationship. While he knew Sebastian knew he'd written songs about him, and their relationship, he wasn't sure about the reaction to his first single being based on them. So the longer he listened and began to cross ideas off the list, Blaine came to the realization that while he wanted to keep the song a surprise, he was going to play it for Sebastian that weekend. Last thing he wanted was for Sebastian to freak-out the first time he heard it as he wasn't sure where he might be that day.
With as busy as they all were that day, time was flying. So when Thad finally got to the break in his day, he was quick to jump on the subway and head to the studio to see Rachel. When he reached the front desk, he asked where he could find her and was promptly told which room she was in. Considering the time of day, there weren't many people rehearsing which made finding Rachel's room easier since so few doors were closed. Upon reaching it, he looked through the window and saw Rachel beside a piano singing along with an accompanist and someone else. Not wanting to distract her, he waited patiently till she stopped singing before knocking on the window. The moment she saw it was him; a smile crept to her face as she motioned for him to enter.
No sooner was he through the doorway, did Rachel run into his arms. "How did you know I was here or should I know that answer?" Rachel asked after they kissed. "Blaine?"
"Correct." Thad said before kissing her once again. "He thought you might appreciate it if I dropped by. I'm not interrupting, am I?"
"No, as long as you don't mind listening." Rachel told him as they separated before taking his hand and walking him towards the piano. "There is someone I'd like you to meet though." She continued as they got closer to the piano. "Thad Harwood, I'd like you to meet Shelby Corcoran. Shelby, this is Thad."
"It's a pleasure to meet you Thad." Shelby said as they shook hands.
"The feeling is mutual." Thad replied. "Rachel's told me quite a bit about you."
"The same on my end." Shelby replied. "Now Rachel, do you want to take a bit of a break so you can spend some time with Thad?" Rachel then looked at Thad who smiled.
"Actually, I'd like to continue as I asked Thad if he minded listening since I know I have work to do." Rachel told her. "You're alright with that, right Thad?"
"More than, it'll be nice considering I spent the last couple of hours in lab." Thad said as he grabbed a nearby chair to sit down. "And it'll give me something to think about once I get back to school."
"You're going to med school, aren't you?" Shelby asked and Thad nodded. "Where at, if you don't mind me asking since Rachel never mentioned it?"
"NYU." Thad told her as Rachel handed her accompanist the music for the other number.
"Impressive." Shelby told him. "Rachel, are you going to want me to sing the other part?"
"If you could though I'm not sure if it's in your range." Rachel replied. "I'd considered calling Jesse to help, but he's in workshop this week." Once the words left her mouth, Rachel smiled before turning towards Thad. "When was the last time you sang Thad?"
"Excuse me?" Thad replied causing Shelby to look between the two.
"When was the last time you sang?
"Probably a few weeks ago when we did karaoke, why?"
"Rachel, while I understand where you're going, with this you need someone with more experience. No offense Thad."
"That's the thing, Thad has it. It might not be the same as me or Blaine, but he has it. Thad was a Warbler so he used to sing all the time."
"A Dalton Warbler?" Shelby replied and Rachel nodded.
"How do you know the Warblers?" Thad asked, clearly curious now.
"Shelby coached not only Vocal Adrenaline for some time, but also the Trouble-tones during their brief existence at McKinley." Rachel told him. "So, are you game to give it a try?"
"While I appreciate your faith in me, you're probably better off having Shelby do it as I haven't sung seriously in some time. And from memory, I know a good warm up is necessary. If anything, give Blaine a call as you know his voice is more than prepared to do something like this."
"Are you sure you won't reconsider?"
"Yes." Thad said before getting up to give her a kiss on the cheek. "Last thing I'd want to do is screw you up with limited time to prepare." Rachel smiled as she understood what she asked was a lot, but understood where Thad was coming from as well. And seeing the two talk, Shelby was impressed as that little conversation gave her a bit more insight into the man that was making his way into Rachel's heart. While the two spoke a bit more, Shelby looked over the music and confirmed to Rachel that singing Fiyero's part wasn't going to be a problem for her. "Does that mean you'll be singing with Jean-Baptiste tomorrow?"
"It does." Rachel told him. "And considering I've seen his portrayal, I know I need to bring my A game. Hell, I need to bring it for both numbers as I'm singing with Glinda on the other."
"Just be yourself Rach and everything else will fall into place."
"That's excellent advice Thad." Shelby said as she looked at them. "Ready Rachel?"
"Let's do this."
From the moment Shelby began to sing, Thad could see so much of Rachel in her that it was clear where Rachel got her voice from. And once Rachel joined her, their voices blended almost effortlessly. It also got Thad thinking about what Rachel was going to sound like the next day singing with Jean-Baptiste. That also had him making a mental note to see if there were any clips of Jean-Baptiste singing this song online. But seeing the way Rachel came alive when she sang, only reinforced that this was what she was meant to be doing, much like Blaine. The two were born performers and all it took was seeing them in their element for anyone to realize that fact.
By the time Blaine got home that day, he was thrilled to know he only had a few things to do aside from making dinner that night. The moment he walked into his apartment, a huge smile crept across his face the moment he spotted Sebastian sitting on the couch. At first he was surprised, but then remembered Sebastian telling him his last class was canceled. "Hey sexy." Blaine practically purred into his ear before kissing him on the cheek as he leaned over the back of his couch.
"Hey yourself." Sebastian replied, before reaching and pulling Blaine over the back since he was still leaning over. "Have a good day?" He asked before they shared a proper kiss.
"I did, you?"
"Yes, but it's even better now."
"I couldn't agree more." Blaine told him as he got settled, his head resting in Sebastian's lap. "If we're so happy to see each other now after not seeing each other for a few days, what are we going to be like when I come back from tour?"
"Insatiable." Sebastian replied with a smile while running his fingers through Blaine's curls. "I think the worst part about it right now is knowing we're in the same city and hadn't seen each other. And while we've gone a few days before, it was weird not being at your show."
"I think that's what did it as you haven't missed a show in the city." Blaine told him as he took Sebastian's other hand in his. "It was strange not having you in the audience."
"Well, from the pictures I saw of the show I might not have been able to control myself Killer." Blaine instantly cocked at eyebrow at Sebastian's words. "Are you telling me you never notice cameras going off at your shows?" Blaine shook his head. "Well, people outside of me are captivated with you, in ways that go beyond your voice."
"That's not funny Bas."
"It's true B. Santana sent me a picture someone she knows took of you last night. And well, because of that I decided to see if there were others out there."
"And?"
"Let's just say I'm very happy that Scott doesn't leave your side when you are out in public before or after shows. I'm just waiting for those first stories of people trying to sneak onto your tour bus."
"Well, that's going to be hard as Scott and his team already know very few people are allowed on so it'll be easy to spot those that don't belong."
"And who precisely is allowed on-board?"
"Only you, and Jeff are allowed in aside from me, the band, Vincent, and Scott."
"Not the rest of the guys?" Sebastian asked.
"They'll be allowed on, but only if one of the five of us are already on-board. The less people that have access, the better since that will be our home away from home."
"That makes sense. Now, what was this big news you wanted to share with me?" Blaine looked up into the green eyes that he got lost in more times than not before giving Sebastian a soft smile.
"Rachel's singing with Jean-Baptiste tomorrow."
"She got it?" Sebastian replied tentatively as he thought there was one more round of auditions.
"She's close, tomorrow is the last go as the finalists will be singing with members of the cast."
"Considering the performance she gave according to that video, I'm not surprised."
"Me either. I'm so happy for her Bas as she's worked so hard to get back to this point. More than a few times she was ready to give up, much as I was." Blaine said before glancing down at their hands as their fingers were interlaced with one another.
"Yet neither of you did as you knew deep down what you were meant to do." Sebastian said as he adjusted himself on the couch. "Now, what were you going to tell me about Rachel and Hummel as you mentioned her getting this gig could cause more problems?"
"More than once, the two had a diva off and one of the times they used Defying Gravity." Sebastian couldn't refrain from laughing loudly the moment the song title left Blaine's mouth. "Bas." Blaine said trying to cut through Sebastian's laughter, yet he hadn't stopped. "Bas."
"That's not funny B, seriously." Sebastian told him as he tried to catch his breath.
"I'm not trying to be funny, it's true." That response only got Sebastian to laugh even more, causing Blaine to shake his head as he knew trying to talk to Sebastian in this state was pointless. It wasn't till he'd gotten it under control, did Blaine continue. "Feeling better?"
"Yes, as I hadn't laughed that hard in a long time." Sebastian replied. "Now, you know I'm not sexist but that song is really written for a woman to sing."
"I know, but since Kurt is a countertenor, he felt he could do it…including hitting the high F." Sebastian cocked an eyebrow at the last part.
"Just because someone is capable, doesn't mean that they should. Could he?"
"With a lot of practice, but it never sounded as full as it should. I'm hoping that should Rachel get this, he's supportive of her and not an ass."
"That would be nice B, but if he's an ass, it's not your fault. And if he is, this is one time I don't think we'd be able to hold Thad back about speaking his mind."
"I know, I just don't want her to have to put up with it."
"If he does, it's just more reason for her to distance herself from him." Sebastian said calmly, no matter how easy it would be rip on Kurt. "But if he's truly her friend B, he'll support her."
"Is it wrong that I don't want to move right now?" Blaine asked, not caring that he was changing the subject. It was just that he was so content where he was that he didn't want to move. So when Sebastian shook his head, Blaine smiled. "Just let me know when you're ready for me to start dinner."
"I can do that." Sebastian replied. "By chance, have you packed for this weekend yet?"
"Partially, why?"
"Curious. Also, are you going to come over like usual after class?" Blaine nodded. "Good, as the sooner we can leave the better. I'm quite eager to get you to myself for an entire weekend as it's been too long." After Sebastian's laughing fit, he'd gone back to running his fingers through Blaine's curls which Blaine hadn't realized he missed till it began again. "Are you looking forward to our weekend Killer?"
"Probably more than I should admit too." Blaine told him. "I agree with your sentiment that it's been too long since we had some uninterrupted time with each other. Speaking of that fact though, did Scott talk with you?"
"Yes, he and I spoke so he knows where we are going to be." Sebastian replied softly. "Also, he asked about our vacation plans." When Blaine's expression changed, Sebastian squeezed Blaine's hand gently. "Relax B; he's not coming with us. He just wanted to know exactly where we were staying in case something happened. Also, he's going to be meeting us at the airport on our return trip."
"Alright, but did he say why?"
"No, and I didn't asked as I assumed you knew why."
"I don't, but I'm sure I'll find out soon enough." After he spoke, Blaine closed his eyes and just enjoyed the feeling of Sebastian's fingers running through his hair. With as crazy as things had been, Blaine was starting to really enjoy the quiet moments of his life as they were happening less and less. And knowing Sebastian enjoyed them with his schedule, he didn't feel the same need to constantly be out doing something. But after some time and feeling like he was going to drift off, Blaine knew he needed to get started on dinner so they weren't eating too late.
While working on dinner as Sebastian read, Blaine propped up his tablet to go through the scenarios he hadn't dismissed as of yet. With as good as he felt after lying on the couch with Sebastian, his mind felt clearer so he decided to give them another look. Blaine got lost in his little bubble between cooking and working that he jumped when he felt Sebastian wrap his arms around him from behind. "It smells amazing Killer." Sebastian whispered into his ear before beginning to nuzzle his neck. "How much longer?"
"Maybe ten minutes." Blaine replied, relaxing into Sebastian's arms. "Hungry?"
"I wasn't until the aroma began drifting into the living room." The then tightened his hold a bit. "Don't worry; I didn't glance at your tablet as I wasn't sure what was on it."
"Video scenarios." Blaine told him. "I need to tell Vincent which one I want to go with when we come back from our weekend getaway. That way he can get everything taken care of so we can shoot. They want to be able to release it shortly after the single gets released."
"Sounds good. I'd offer to help, but since I haven't heard the song that not a possibility." Once he was done, Sebastian's lips went back to Blaine's neck and he loved feeling him relaxing more into his touch. Just as he moved his hips, grinding up against Blaine's ass, he saw the pan moved off the burner. "That went quick."
"I…I said maybe ten." The tone of Blaine's voice as he spoke let Sebastian know how relaxed Blaine was becoming at his touch. "It's not fair…doing this to me Bas."
"What precisely am I doing?" Sebastian then heard his name faintly escape Blaine's lips. And while he loved having this effect on him, he knew he needed to stop so that they could eat. "Would you object to me picking this up after dinner?" Blaine shook his head before leaning his head back on Sebastian's shoulder. Sebastian then placed a kiss on Blaine's cheek before carefully releasing him not sure how Blaine's bearings were in that moment. Once he did, Blaine turned to kiss him before taking plates out of the cabinet as Sebastian went about grabbing silverware and a bottle of wine.
"Do you have more studying to do later?" Blaine asked once they got settled at the island as Sebastian poured their glasses.
"No. Do you have anything to do or am I going to be able to pick things up right afterwards?"
"I've only got a couple things to do, but it won't take me long." While Blaine spoke, his phone went off and he sighed softly before taking a bite.
"Aren't you going to get that?" Sebastian asked and Blaine shook his head. "I wouldn't mind."
"It's only Rachel; I'll call her back after we're done." Blaine replied. "The only call I'd take at this moment is from Vincent." While Blaine spoke, he felt one of Sebastian's hands go to his back. "My phone rings more now than it ever did Bas."
"That's because your career is about to launch." Sebastian told him after taking a bite. "And well, now with your friends back in your life people love talking to you. Not to mention, with what's going on with Rachel, I'm not surprised she's calling. Though, I'm curious as to why she isn't with Thad."
"He had a lot of studying to do tonight from what he said earlier today. I have no doubt that should this have been the actually call, he would've found time to celebrate with her."
"That will happen soon enough."
Blaine and Sebastian's conversation was rather on point as Thad felt horrible for not being able to be with Rachel that evening, but he had too much work to do. Luckily for him, Rachel more than understood and was more than happy with the promise of a night out should she get the part. So with Thad being busy and Santana at work, Rachel decided that she would enjoy the quiet to help get in the proper mindset for the next day. As she let the tub run, she grabbed a bottle of bubble bath that was part of a basket of goodies that Thad had gotten for her and pouring some in. The thought of relaxing in the tub, with some soft music playing was precisely what she needed.
Once the water got to an acceptable level, Rachel undid the tie on her robe before removing it and placing it on a nearby chair before getting in. She'd just gotten settled when she realized how long it had been since she'd done this. And it wasn't that she hadn't had opportunities to do so before, she just hadn't. Since Santana was out, Rachel had double-checked the locks on the door and had her phone sitting close in case anything happened. After turning off the water once the bubbles surrounded her, she leaned her head back on the pillow and took a deep cleansing breath. With as nervous as she'd felt earlier in the day, she was feeling surprisingly calm in that moment.
Whether she had known earlier in the day or not, having Thad stop by meant more to her than she could've possibly imagine. She knew he didn't often have much free time, so the fact that he used the bit he had that day to see her, spoke volumes. Not to mention, she was finally able to introduce him to Shelby and vice-versa. And once Thad left that day, Shelby had nothing but complimentary things to say about him. While at first Shelby had been worried that his arrival would be a distraction to Rachel, the thought didn't last long when he happily sat back, listened and didn't say a word unless spoken to. She could see that he was happy just being around Rachel in that moment and didn't need attention to be focused on him as this was her time.
Everything about her relationship with Thad was so different from what she was accustomed to, but Rachel wouldn't change it for the world. While they might not get to see each other daily, they always made a point to talk multiple times throughout and if possible, Skype in the evenings. When Blaine and Sebastian were doing these things, Rachel didn't quite understand it, yet now she did. Even though they didn't always talk for long, it was always nice knowing you were on their mind and they wanted to share their day with you. And with her and Thad being from two rather different worlds, it gave them quite a bit to talk about. And now that Shelby had met him, Rachel knew it was only going to be a matter of time till her Dads did as she knew they'd come to the city should she get this role.
From the first time she mentioned him casually in conversation, they'd begun asking all sorts of questions about him. It was clear that her Dads had started to worry about her dating life, but had refrained from talking about it, not wanting to upset her. But now that she'd opened the door, they let the questions fly. When she first told them, that he was a friend of Blaine's from when he went to Dalton, they were a bit shocked to put it mildly. So, she had to explain how that a little more than six months prior, Blaine had reconnected with his friends from Dalton. The fact that her life seemed to turn a corner, shortly after Blaine's began to turn around didn't go unnoticed by her Dads.
Considering the relative quiet she was enjoying in that moment, Rachel was a bit startled when her phone began to ring. Normally she would've ignored it, but considering it was Thad's ringtone, she reached for a nearby towel so she could dry her hands to answer. Knowing she needed to be careful, Rachel leaned over the tub enough to hit speaker to answer before slipping back in. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to answer." Thad said after they'd said hello. "One more ring and it would've gone to voicemail."
"Well, I could only move so quickly as I needed to be careful." Rachel replied as she adjusted the pillow in the tub slightly. "You wouldn't have wanted me to hurt myself."
"True, I wouldn't have. Should I even ask what you're doing that you needed to be careful or am I better off not knowing?" Rachel couldn't stop herself from giggling as this was something different for her. Most probably wouldn't imagine her soaking in a tub while talking with her boyfriend on the phone. "Rach?"
"I don't think it would be fair to tell you what I'm doing." The moment the words left her mouth, she realized they could be taken in so many ways, but it was too late to do anything about it. "How's studying going?"
"It's going, but I'm clearly taking a break." Thad replied. "Now, why wouldn't it be fair to tell me what you're doing?" While he spoke, Thad stretched out on his couch as he'd been sitting up for so long, studying.
"Honestly?"
"Yes, honestly."
"I'm currently soaking in a bubble bath." Shortly after the words left her mouth, she heard a sound she couldn't quite make out on the other end of the phone. "Thad."
"You're right, that's not fair."
"So, telling you I'm using the bubble bath you bought me isn't something you'd want to know." Rachel heard that same sound again and if she had to describe the sound, it was as though he growled. "Or that I plan on using more of what was in that basket."
"If you tell me anymore, I might forgo studying and come and join you."
"Is that so?" Rachel replied, feeling a blush creep to her cheeks.
"Only if you'd want me to." Once he spoke, Rachel bit her lower lips gently as there was certainly something different about Thad's voice.
"Tempting as that sounds, you wouldn't be able to get in as I did all the locks." As she spoke, Rachel moved her legs just a bit, as the thought of Thad joining her was actually quite appealing. "Wanted to make sure I wasn't disturbed since Santana's working." Hearing that, Thad shifted a bit on the couch as that was a bit of additional information that he didn't need in that moment.
"I guess next time you plan on taking a bath, you should call me ahead of time." Thad told her. "I would've been more than willing to wash your back for you."
"That would've been nice. I'll have to remember to call you ahead of time before my next bath." Having a conversation like this was something she probably never would've done before. Yet with Thad, it was the most natural thing. Being able to speak so freely as of late, was something she was really enjoying knowing those around her wouldn't judge.
"Please, do so." Thad said. "Does it feel good?"
"It does. After everything that's happened the last few days, I've needed it."
"I'm happy to hear you're taking care of yourself. Now, have you thought about where you want to go to dinner should everything go your way?" Rachel could stop from smiling when he asked. "Or, do you want me to surprise you?"
"I want you to surprise me as you haven't failed yet when you've done so."
"Putting the pressure on me, I see."
"Maybe." Rachel replied while giggling. "It can be somewhere we've gone before or someplace new. I just don't want to think about it with everything else going through my head."
"Then I will choose where we'll go. Do you want me to let you go so you can enjoy your bath?"
"Who says I'm not enjoying it while talking to you?"
"I was only being polite." While he spoke, he could hear a splash of water which caused him to shake his head as he really needed to keep certain images out of his head since he was going to go back to studying once they were done. "Would you have answered if it was anyone else calling?"
"The only other person I probably would've answered for is Santana. But that's only because I have all the locks done and one of the locks can only be undone from inside. Otherwise, it's only you."
"I like that sound of that."
"I'm glad you do."