Foreword: This gay short features a character called Jimothy who was not invented by myself, but by a friend of mine, Jack (https://twitter.com/SplathouseFic) during some of his audio works, and I just felt compelled to include him in this.
Enjoy!
Micromanage Me
Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Miles Banhardt. A small cog in a large corporate banking firm. Typical, isn’t it? That image of a cog making some monstrous machine churning people and cash through endless funnels of shit.
Here’s a recent picture of me, hard at work in our co-working space listening to my favourite podcast, The Ghosts of Financial Times Past. Classic stuff. It’s a horror-infused take on, you guessed it…finance.
It’s been three hours since I arrived at work this morning, but in my mind barely a second seems to have passed. I lean back on my chair and wrap the phone cable around my index finger. The cable gets wound up so tight I practically yank it clean out. Still, I manage to catch myself before that happens. Thankfully. After all, I had better be able to answer when it rings, otherwise my boss, Liam Mason, will no doubt have something snarky to say about it; the bastard always does. That’s quite simply the way it’s been for the best part of a year.
Out of nowhere, there’ll be some new system installed that’s supposedly designed to help us manage our project management, which helps us get shit done. We’re trained up, and most people will comprehend the process. Every time there’s something new to learn, I get the process. It’s a blessing that I happen to be a fast learner. Exactly like the rest of them. But is my gaining even the most fundamental level of knowledge ever enough for Liam?
Of course not.
While everybody else seems to have a fair shot at bagging a well-earned promotion, I might as well have my hands permanently bound by the world’s most durable cable-ties. And given where I’m at right now, I’m utterly powerless to change any of it.
What do I think about this boss of mine? Liam. Well, he’s just a normal guy stuck in the middle, right between us regular white collars and those C-Suite people upstairs in their suits. I understand to some degree, though. His actions are determined largely by what his manager tells him to do. And she, Leila Reagan, is a slave driver even on her better days,
Still, so many things confuse me about Liam’s beside manner, and the way he treats other employees who aren’t me.
Take Jimothy, the office intern who’s temporarily joined us all the way from the US. He gets more perks and praise than I do, and he’s not even a regular fucking employee. Liam makes up all sorts of excuses for him, even when he’s going around spilling scalding hot coffee onto people’s laps and trying desperately to mop it up with his hands. Oh, believe me, I’ve lost count of the number of times he’s done this, and I don’t think he’s doing it by accident either. I’m sorry to sound so cynical about a young intern with his entire future ahead of him, but Jimothy just isn’t cut out for the world of corporate banking. I suspect Liam sees something of himself as a young man in Jimothy, and as a result, he’s developed a soft spot for him.
Jimothy aside, unlike my fellow co-workers, all I ever receive from Liam is a ridiculous amount of disparagement. Day in, day out. He hates my guts with a fiery, burning passion. I’m absolutely certain of it.
Today, more than any other, the frustration has grown to a level so enormous it’s achingly unbearable. I’m so fucking bored that I’ve even sprouted an erection. Yes, you read that correctly. I get rock hard whenever I experience a flurry of negative feelings. Like when I’m angry. Trust me, I know it seems strange, and I can’t explain it well either. Shouldn’t there at the very least be some arousing stimulus lurking in this equation somewhere? Still, it’s been like this for longer than I even care to recall.
When I think about it, I’m kind of like the Incredible Hulk. Although I’m no Bruce Banner by any stretch of the imagination, I’m perpetually stuck in a space where the pent-up rage bypasses the rest of my body and instead chooses to gather inside my cock, causing it to swell at the most inconvenient of times. And given how much grief work has caused me recently, I’m hard a lot of the time. I’ve come up with a myriad of ways to hide it from others. It’s not easy, and I do what I can to manage until I’m able to sneak into the bathroom and finally give myself the relief I need.
There’s one more thing I’ve noticed about Liam more recently, though, besides all his hatred for me. Most afternoons, when it’s quiet, he’ll lock himself in his office, pull the blinds down and hang a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on the door. Supposedly he stole that from the last hotel he stayed at during a business trip to the US – coincidentally, with Jimothy in tow. He insists this whole spectacle is necessary to preserve his precious concentration power. According to him, minimising all sensory stimulation like excess noise, light and interruptions from co-workers allows him to get more stuff done. But he really does shut himself in there, occasionally for a couple of hours at a time, and actually…it’s sort of worrying when I really think about it. What if he’s depressed? Maybe he needs someone to talk to. It’s true, I have a deep-set loathing for the guy, but if I do know one thing, it’s that mental health issues aren’t fun. I’ve had my unfair share of those too.
Ever since Liam has been acting this way, maybe three weeks ago, I’ve found that rising feeling of discontentment being interspersed with bursts of curiosity, and genuine concern for his well-being. So, while having been distracted by those raging erections, I’ve also felt a gravitational pull, like something is beckoning me towards his office. One that won’t stop pulling me in until I heed its call and start to move my feet. Is there some dark, devilish force at work here? I can’t tell. Still, I find myself more attracted to the idea each time it happens.
I decided last night that today would be the day. When I take the initiative and go to his office during his personal shut-down period. You know, just to make sure nothing untoward is going on. That’s all. I want to see first-hand that his safety isn’t at risk. As his subordinate, I think it’s my duty to look out for him if something doesn’t seem right.
Right?
I mean, he does pay me a decent enough wage. It’s nowhere near what I know I’m worth in terms of cold, hard cash. On the contrary, it’s not complete horse shit either. With his clear penchant for young, strapping American university grads though, he’s nothing short of being a consistent arsehole towards loyal employees like me. At least he can manage the financials. I’ll give him that. So, if he has a meltdown, in some indirect way, it’s really in my interest too.
Are my motives selfish?
Even while I ask myself this question, I’m not sure. But even I understand that I’m not so bitter and twisted that I enjoy seeing people suffer. Despite what my inner turmoil might suggest.
***
The afternoon rolls around. Meetings are over and everyone’s getting stuck deep into their individually-assigned projects. It’s pretty quiet around here, with only fleeting chit-chat to break up the monotony. This can mean one thing, and one thing only. It’s about to get uncomfortably dark and lonely inside Liam Mason’s office. At least I wouldn’t like to be trapped in that box, all alone with only my thoughts for company.
Sure enough, at three o’clock sharp, his little sign goes up, the lights go out, the door clunks shut. And so the ritual begins. I look around the office to see what my co-workers are doing. Nobody bats an eyelid. They’re all surprisingly robotic, glued to their screens and tapping away ferociously at their keyboards. In theory, I should be doing the same, plugging myself into that corporate drone-like mentality. But not today. I have something more pressing to do.
I get up out of my chair and approach Liam’s office. I give my surroundings another check over and press an ear to his door. There’s a faint sound coming from inside, but I can’t quite make it out. I knock softly on the door and listen for a response.
Nothing.
I try again, rapping a little more firmly now. “Liam?”
I turned around, matching the face with a voice I had come to despise. Jimothy stands there, documents in hand, with his slicked-back hair, tortoiseshell-rimmed glasses, and collar poking out of his jumper. All this while sporting the slyest grin known to man.
“I wouldn’t go in there while his door’s shut,” he says, narrowing his eyes.
“Oh?” I take a couple of steps back from the door and cross my arms, assuming this would suitably assert my dominance as a superior employee at the company. “Why not?”
“I uh…I’m not at liberty to disclose that information.”
Fucking prick.
“Well, Jim—can I call you Jim?— I don’t understand why this is any of your business.”
“It is my business as long as I’m working here.”
“Well, then…maybe you shouldn’t be working here.”
That sort of just…slipped out.
Jimothy let out a deep, frustrated sigh,. “Everybody hates me, don’t they?”
“N-no. No-one hates you.” Yes, boy. You are so fucking annoying. “I’m sure you’ll find somewhere else to go after this internship’s ended.”
“Yeah, whatever,” he says, turning up his nose. “Who’s going to employ me anyway?”
“Trust me. You’ll be fine, Jimothy,” I assure him, realising that I’ve unwittingly taken on the role of career adviser. “Now, I’m going to continue with what I was doing before you interrupted me so politely.”
“I was just giving you a word of warning, that’s all,” he says. “But, hey man. It’s up to you. Do whatever the hell you like.”
He walks away, muttering something to himself that I can’t hear properly.
I turn back and square up to Liam’s office door, knocking once more.
Still no response.
Maybe he’s taking a nap?
I touch my fingers to the handle and give it a small push downwards. It clicks slightly and I come to realise the door can be opened from the outside. He didn’t even lock the thing. What was he thinking? Also, doesn’t that defeat the object of the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign? I mean, if you’re going to put that up, why not take the extra precaution of actually locking it?
Well, this works in my favour. There’s no point in moaning about his lack of caution.
I poke my head around the door frame and peer inside. It’s absolutely pitch black, with barely even a computer light to illuminate anything.
“L-Liam?” I turn my head to one side and strain my right ear for any sign of an answer. “Are you th-”
“Close the door.”
It’s him alright, but the deep and commanding sound of his voice makes me shudder a little. “Liam. I-is that you?”
“I said close the fucking door, Miles.”
“Oh.” I’m taken aback by his sinister tone; it has a depth to it that I’ve never heard before. I push the door shut. “A-alright. Um…I’m not disturbing you, am I?”
He chuckles and gets up from his chair. “What exactly is it you think I get up to in here?”
I scratch my temples. “I really don’t know.”
He paces around me, but my senses feel so dulled I can barely make out his frame. “So you wanted to conduct your very own investigation?”
“N-no. It’s not that, I just-”
‘Just’ what? I don’t think I even know what I was about to say.
“Come on, Miles. You let your curiosity get the better of you, and now you’re acting on it. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.”
“Isn’t it natural to be curious about something like this?” The corners of my mouth turn upwards into a nervous smirk. “I’m sure I’m not the only one wondering why you really feel the need to sit alone, in this completely darkened room while everybody else gets on with their day as usual. It’s not for the sake of your concentration, is it?”
Liam lets out a deep sigh. “That’s precisely why I put the sign up on the door. Did you somehow miss it, with its bright red cautionary design?”
“Of course I saw it, and that intern Jimothy was even out there warning me not to come in.”
He flicks the switch on the desk lamp, and his face becomes visible, save for the areas hidden by shadows. “And you didn’t think to listen to him?”
I scoff. “No. That bumbling idiot has done nothing but frustrate me ever since he showed up at this office. Don’t you think he gets away with too much, even though we’re not paying him a single penny?”
“Wow.” Liam sits back down on his chair. “You’re a hostile one, aren’t you, Miles? I can just feel the jealousy oozing out of you.”
“What?” I knit my brows; this statement confuses me. “Why would I be jealous of him?”
“Because you’ve seen the way he always hangs at my side. The way he’s like some determined puppy dog, just waiting for his opportunity to shine and get praised for it.”
I chuckle. “I-I don’t care what Jimothy does, or what he wants from you.”
“Then why do you sound so nervous right now?”
A lump forms in my throat, and I open my mouth to speak, but there’s nothing more than motions and air to show for it. No words spill from my lips.
I’m at a loss. Still, he’s right. Why is my heart beating in my chest like this?
Liam leans into the spotlit area on the desk and motions for me to approach him, a grin spanning the width of his face.
“Come here, Miles.”
I gulp and the lump in my throat seems to fall into the pit of my stomach. I take a step forward and as I look down, I realise that in this pitch black darkness I’m completely unable to see my feet.
It’s an unsettling feeling, but still I press on.
Stopping a couple of feet away from Liam, I cross my arms again, that sense of defiant boyishness coming straight back to me. Those walls that have been keeping me so comfortable are now being knocked down, brick by brick.
“Closer.”
I inch towards him. He swivels ninety degrees on his chair and gazes up at me, those dark eyes so demanding and full of depth. It feels as though hoards of knives are being thrown directly at my chest.
“Don’t be shy. Come closer.”
Why does this scenario suddenly remind me of Silence of the Lambs? The tone Liam is using sounds so slow and sinister. I really don’t know what to make of it. Well, as long as Hannibal Lecter doesn’t appear, I suppose there’s nothing to complain about. I certainly wouldn’t want to be served as part of the diet that fucks with that guy’s anti-depressant cocktail.
I shuffle forward a few more steps.
He sucks his bottom lip in, inhales hungrily, and then spreads his legs so they’re splayed out wider than looks comfortable. The material of his trousers stretches across his crotch. I can clearly see the outline of his hardened cock pointing off to one side along his inner thigh.
“Do you understand now, Miles?” Liam traces the length of his stifled cock with his fingers, moving slowly back and forth. He untucks his shirt from his trousers and lifts it up a little to give me a sneak preview of his abs.
“I-I’m not sure I do.”
Now, I’m not exactly the fittest of people, so whenever I see a guy with a toned physique, I admit that I get a little aroused. I still haven’t wrapped my head around why this happens. I’m comfortable with my own weight, but my assumption is that I want that body so badly it turns me on.
“You wanted to know what it is I do when I shut myself in here, didn’t you?”
Liam slides his hand up underneath his crumpled shirt and feels around his abdomen, a sense of determination in his movements. Then, he brings the corner of the shirt up to his mouth and clasps the fabric between his teeth. His dark gaze rips through me like some erotic chainsaw. I’m sure he knows exactly what he’s doing to me.
I feel my cock twitch awake inside my boxers, the head poking out of the rim. It’s like I’m glued in place, unable to tear my eyes away from the spectacle unfolding before me.
Liam unbuckles his belt and slips it off, curling it over and holding it in one hand. “Take off your trousers.” He wriggles out of his own, leaving that stiff cock tenting into an impatient under his briefs.
“W-why?”
He chuckles. “Why do you think, you idiot? Haven’t you noticed how hard we both are?”
“But, there’s really nothing to s-”
“Shut up, Miles. I think you’re hot.” He reaches into his briefs, grabs his cock and shows it to me, a sense of pride shining through in that grimace of his. A thin stream of pre-cum drips lustrously from the tip; the way it glistens beneath the light of the lamp is so beautiful. I swear I’ve never seen anything like it. “Remove your trousers.”
I salivate slightly. That beating drum beats ever louder in my chest. It’s impossible to resist his alluring, callous words. Reluctantly, I tug gently at the zip on my trousers, open up the fly and shuffle the garment over my thighs and to the floor. I stretch the rim of my boxers along the length of my erect shaft. I want to make sure the final reveal is slow and deliberate, so just as I’m about to display the tip, I pull the rim over my shaft again – back and forth, teasing Liam. After a short while, I come to the conclusion that it’s time to show him everything I’m packing. I slip my boxers off completely and set the beast free, the tip bobbing enthusiastically; a polite salute.
“That’s more like it. Now, come right over here.” Liam smiles, seeming content with what he sees. “Let me touch you.”
I instinctively preempt the feeling of Liam’s warm, slender fingers as they wrap around my cock, and slide along these generous, hairy thighs. I want him to run his hands over my arse and slap it, hard so there’s a resounding echo throughout the office. He could even be the perfect cliché, if he so desires, and bend me over his desk at his leisure. I don’t care. After all, this is a dream that I never thought would play out in reality.
I take a step closer.
Closer.
Closer still.
I’m mere centimetres away from that glorious, throbbing cock. My breath is audibly shaky. Anybody would be able to tell how nervous I am. “W-what are you going to do to me?”
Liam puts a finger to his lips as if to silence me. “No talking, Miles. Just enjoy the experience.”
He takes my cock, just as I’d imagined he would, and spits on it. I shudder as his cool saliva makes contact with the tip and dribbles down like icing on a cake. He slathers the homemade lube all over, spreading it along every bulging vein and pulsating inch of my cock. It feels surprisingly tingly, like Durex warming lube. But I know this is so much more special than any store-bought substitute.
I let out an involuntary moan as he caresses my arousal, with hard, determined strokes. The way his grip slides over me so easily is utterly mind-numbing. My thoughts are a mess; I wouldn’t be able to think straight even if I tried. Nothing can be rationalised when someone is delivering an expert hand-job like this.
Liam presses our cocks together. I can’t help but whimper as our sensitive, taut skin connects and I feel his pulse running in parallel with mine. Using his free hand, he opens the top drawer of his desk and produces what at first glance resemble two cock rings. Wait, they are cock rings. He tears one of the packets open with his teeth, takes the purple jelly-like thing out, and stretches it over my shaft and underneath my swollen balls.
Then, he reaches for the belt he was wearing earlier. His actions are obvious, but I’m so wrapped up in the tight, restricted feeling coming over my balls that I am only really semi-conscious of what’s going on. My balls are throbbing like crazy, and my cock is aching with a deep sense of want. I hear the distinctive clink of the buckle before I see the belt. He loops it around both of our cocks, pulls it tighter, and fastens it into an extra, self-made belt hole which clearly wasn’t there when he purchased it.
I inhale sharply as the pulse beating in my shaft intensifies. Those veins bulge ever more protrusively against Liam’s. Our tips twitch. The pre-cum mixes together into a cocktail of pure, unfiltered lust. I observe his expression. His face is flushed with light crimson and a few beads of stubborn sweat adorn his forehead. It is hot in this office, but this situation would make it very difficult for anyone to keep their cool.
He pinches our glans together between his fingertips, using the pre-cum as lube. “How does it feel, Miles?”
“S-so fucking good.”
I feel my eyes roll back in my head as he spreads our glinting pre-cum over the entire length of both shafts, applying alternating levels of pressure as he jerks us off. His movements are slow but sure.
“Don’t come too quickly,” he says, a menacing grin. “Let’s enjoy this for as long as we can.”
I nod, trying desperately to catch my breath as he starts to pick up the pace. That’s easier said than done. At this rate, I’m not going to last much longer. But I’ll try. For his sake. If it stays like this, with him using his hands, I think I can just about control myself.
But no sooner do I have this thought, does Liam reach back into that top desk drawer. He rummages around in there a little, before pulling out a sex toy. It’s most definitely some kind of soft jelly-like sleeve for jerking off with. No doubt about it.
“How about we mix this up a bit, hmm?”
My eyes widen as he stretches the material of the sleeve out so far it looks like it might snap at any moment.
But it doesn’t. He lowers it onto our cocks, engulfing them in all its transparent glory. The outline of our shafts looks strangely warped by the indentations adorning the outside, as though looking through mottled glass. Now it feels so warm inside, with Liam’s cock pressing hard against my own.
Still, we haven’t started using it yet, and I’m dubious as to whether the thing will really withstand the additional strain.
“I think that’s designed for single-person use.” The tone I use to deliver that line makes it all sound so matter-of-fact.
Liam laughs. “Seriously Miles, don’t worry about the small details.” He clears his throat. “You know, this isn’t the first time I’ve stuck two dicks inside it.”
“I-it…isn’t?”
He shakes his head slowly from side-to-side and then raises an eyebrow, sucking his bottom lip in, suggesting that something especially spicy might have occurred.
“So, uh…” I begin, and immediately wonder if I should continue. Still, regardless of my reservations, I do. “…who did you share the sleeve with?”
I mentally slap myself. For fucks sake, why do I have to be so curious all the time? I swear I’m literally the living, breathing personification of the proverb ‘curiosity killed the cat’. Surely I’ve been burned enough times in the past to know that for a fact.
Liam purses his lips through a smile. “Do you really want to know?”
Not especially. But I’ve already stumbled into the inevitable ditch of discovery, haven’t I?
I nod. “Tell me everything.”
Don’t listen to me. I mean it. Don’t you dare indulge me.
I’m hesitant to know the truth, but I find myself getting harder, both because of the incessant throbbing in my shaft, and the mere thought of Liam frotting with someone else using this exact same toy. It’s like I’m experiencing that pleasure first-hand whilst simultaneously floating out of my body into some imaginary cloud of voyeurism.
“Well…” Liam inhales deeply. “I can tell you that it’s someone else from this office.”
Coward. You won’t even tell me their name.
He applies a generous amount of pressure to the outside of the sleeve, squeezing our cocks closer still. The amount of pre-cum oozing into the cracks makes me feel like I might burst too soon. “We were pressed right up together, just like this,” he says. “It was the middle of the afternoon, just like this.”
I zone out as Liam continues to explain. An image pops into my mind, completely out of nowhere. Uninvited.
***
Jimothy the intern, stark naked and sitting in Liam’s office chair.
That prick, why does he have to feature in this fantasy?
He looks so full of himself as he lazes around in that chair, erect as anything, his glasses unfolded on the desk and his work clothes hanging loosely on the sideboard. He plays with himself, giving his long, thin cock some good, long, hard strokes. Then Liam emerges into the scene, also naked. His buttocks look so firm and toned I feel myself twitch with a renewed sense of excitement. Somewhat unexpectedly, he drops to his knees and makes straight for Jimothy’s cock.
Liam teases the tip of Jimothy’s cock ferociously with his tongue for a short while before taking him into his mouth completely. Jimothy closes his eyes, flings his head back and grabs a fistful of Liam’s hair to better fuck his gaping orifice. In this fantasy, he’s displaying the most passion I’ve ever seen from him. It seems he’s a totally different person when he’s horny.
Satisfying wet, slurping noises emanate from the office. I can hear Jimothy’s moans and Liam’s muted gagging as if they were being funnelled directly into my ear.
My balls throb. I already feel like I’m approaching my limit.
Shit. Why is this mere vision turning me on so much?
Then, Jimothy jerks Liam’s head back firmly, still grabbing him by the hair. This forces Liam to withdraw. A thin trail of saliva drips from the corner of his mouth, sultry and desperate-looking. Jimothy reaches into the top drawer and produces the same jelly-like sleeve I’m using with Liam.
He waves it around in the air, like someone dangling that all-too-tempting bag of catnip in front of a cat. “I know you want this,” he says, teasing the underside of Liam’s chin with his nimble fingers. “Stand up.”
Liam jumps to his feet. He’s being unnaturally obedient. I’ve never seen him react so quickly to anyone making a request of him. Usually he takes a hell of a long time to reply to my emails. But this? This is something else entirely. Jimothy hoists himself out of Liam’s chair.
Now, the two men are standing facing one another, perfectly erect in both senses of the term, Jimothy applies a generous serving of KY Jelly and manoeuvres their dicks into the sleeve. Just seeing how tightly packed they are in there makes me feel even more warm and fuzzy. Jimothy takes Liam’s hand and places it onto the outside of the sleeve. Then, he puts his own on top and moves both hands in unison. The pleasure on their faces is more than a little palpable. With each new stroke, I feel the ecstatic sensation growing inside me too. The way the sleeve slides so graciously over both of those luscious cocks is just….so–
***
I snap back to reality. Liam’s hand is working overtime on that sleeve now, keeping pace with Jimothy’s movements in that strange fantasy.
“Miles, I want to make you come all over my cock,” says Liam. He looks like he’s concentrating very hard indeed.
Mmm.
Hearing him say my name when I’m in such a despicable state doesn’t help. “I-I really don’t think it’s going to be long before I…ah-”
My breathing grows audibly laboured amid scattered staccato whimpers. I can feel the beads of sweat running along the side of my face, coating my neck and chest. I’m burning up, but the sweat quickly cools me down. The jelly sleeve caresses every inch of this pulsating wreck with such expert precision that I wonder if my hand will ever feel the same again.
“Fuck…I can’t….I can’t. Liam. You’re gonna make me-”
Liam slides the jelly sleeve down with a hard, determined final swipe, and I blow like Mount Vesuvius on Viagra. There’s such an eruption that I come all over Liam’s arms and chest. He follows immediately after, managing to hit me square on the cheek with his spunk. We pant in unison, our spent cocks twitching in the aftermath of our experiment.
The door swings open. I look up. Jimothy stands there, a wad of papers clasped tightly to his arms. “O-oh. Am I interrupting something?” His eyes dart around the office. It’s obvious he doesn’t know where to look.
“Jimothy.” Liam slips the sleeve off and lets our cocks flop out, some of the excess semen dripping out onto the carpet. “No, not at all.”
Seeing the utter fear in his eyes, I smirk. “Would you care to join us?” I scoop up some of Liam’s semen from my face and suck it off my fingers, flirtatiously. “Mmm. So good. Are you sure you don’t want to try some?”
Jimothy takes a couple of steps back from the doorway. “N-no thanks. Um…I think I’ll just…go now.” He leaves the room and closes the door behind him.
Liam brings a hand down onto my shoulder. “Nice one, Miles.”
I laugh. “Sorry, I couldn’t help it. Do you think he’s going to snitch on us?”
“Oh, he won’t,” says Liam. “I bought him a little gift in case this sort of thing ever happened.”
“A gift?”
“Just a one-way plane ticket back to North Carolina, plus six months’ rent paid while he finds a new job.”
I sidle up to Liam and our sopping wet cocks make contact again. “You really did that?”
“Well.” He draws me closer. “It’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”
“You know me better than I thought.”
“Anything for my favourite employee.”
I chuckle. “Come on. Don’t get ahead of yourself.”
——-