“Shall we?”

Denny linked his arm with Alan’s theatrically, and together, they walked back inside.

Chapter 5

They walked side by side, stepping to the same rhythm, straight out of Denny’s office, Alan sweeping his arm down to grab his briefcase without breaking stride and Denny flicking off the light switch on their way out the door. They continued that way down the hallway, eyes forward, slight grins on their faces, thinking about the night to come and enjoying the secret they now shared.

Sitting in her office sorting out some of the plaintiff files for a class action suit, Shirley Schmidt raised her head at the sound of the rhythmic footsteps coming past her door. She took in the sight of Denny and Alan leaving together arm in arm and smiled to herself. She couldn’t help but think that they looked like they were heading down the yellow brick road to see the wizard. With an amused shake of her head, she returned to her paper work.

Further down the hallway, Paul came out from the conference room doorway and stood in front of the approaching duo.

“Denny, I need to talk to you about second chairing the Peirson case with Brad.”

Denny and Alan stopped in front of Paul, grins gone and serious expressions staring at him. A few moments passed. Then a few more. Still, they stared at him. Feeling as though the eyes were burning holes through him, Paul finally cleared his throat and stepped aside. Denny and Alan’s sly grins returned and they continued resolutely on. Paul stood somewhat dumbstruck and watched them reach the elevator. Alan pushed the button and they stood and waited until the door opened, then they walked in, still arm in arm. Paul blinked and shook his head incredulously. A split second before the doors closed he heard:

“Night Paul.”

He pondered momentarily on which of the two had said it. Then, figuring it didn’t matter, retreated back to the conference room.

On the elevator, Denny and Alan finally dropped each others arms. And stood side by side. Staring at the numbers on the elevator.

Alan suddenly grinned to himself, he had come up with a rather naughty idea. He turned to face his companion.

“Denny?”

“Yes Alan.” Denny said cheerily.

“What would you think of us maybe…?”

Alan’s words were cut short by the sound of the elevator dinging on the 6th floor. Someone was about to board the elevator. Alan shot Denny an apologetic look and turned back to face the doors. They opened to reveal two uniformed police officers. Both well over 6 foot tall and sturdy. They nodded to Denny and Alan and turned to face the doors as they closed.

Alan, unable to control himself in the presence of authority figures, reached out and grabbed Denny’s hand. Denny looked at Alan, trying to warn him that they were in an enclosed space with two of the cities finest and that now was not the time. Alan looked back at Denny and gave him a look that conveyed that, yes. They were in an elevator with two officers, and that there was no better time that the present. Denny rolled his eyes in response, but let Alan continue to grasp his hand, assuming that with the cops backs turned that there was no real danger in indulging him.

Alan relaxed his grip on Denny’s hand so that he was softly cradling it and began rubbing his thumb in small soothing circles around the palm of Denny’s hand. Denny relaxed somewhat. It felt nice. Then the younger man started applying more pressure in his circled, his finger started to link themselves through Denny’s own.

‘My God’ thought Denny, ‘this man knows his way around a hand!’ He realised he had closed his eyes and was enjoying the feeling of Alan tenderly massaging his hand, pressure increasing to push the tension out of the muscles and the decreasing to softly brush the skin, stimulating the nerve endings in his fingers. The stimulating part of the massage really hit home when Alan suddenly pushed his thumb right into the centre of Denny’s palm. Until now, he had been circling around it, teasing. The unexpected pressure on that part of him sent a wave of sensation through his body and he moaned.

He suddenly snapped his eyes open and saw that the two police officers had turned around and were giving the two of them strange looks. Alan didn’t even have the good sense to look guilty, on the contrary he seemed quite proud that he had been able to elicit that noise from Denny. Denny, pulled his hand back and clasped them behind his back. His mind raced, trying to think of something to say. Finally he blurted out:

“He’s scared of the elevator, always insists I hold his hand. Big baby.”

The cops looked unconvinced. One of them blinked and looked Denny straight in the eye.

“Uh huh, sounded like you were enjoying it to me.”

Denny racked his brain and had an excuse ready about having developed a sore shoulder after so much hand holding when Alan spoke up.

“He was enjoying it; I was applying a sensual shiatsu massage that stimulates the nerves, sending signals right to the sexual pleasure centre of the brain.”

Denny stared at Alan in shock. The two officers did the same thing. After a moment, one of the uniformed men sputtered out:

“Uh…Why?”

Alan looked at the officer as though he was ignorant and responded:

“Well you don’t think I’m going to wait till we get back to my hotel to get him all warmed up do you?”

He finished his remark just as the elevator dinged and the doors opened. Alan grabbed Denny’s hand and they made a quick exit between the two officers who were so stunned that the elevator doors closed on them before they had figured out what was going on.

In the taxi, after he had recovered from what he would now remember as the ‘elevator incident’ Denny turned to Alan. Alan had been giving Denny his space in the taxi, assuming that Denny would be angry about what he had done.

“Alan?”

Alan quirked an eyebrow inquisitorially.

“Yes Denny?”

“Do you take some…perverse pleasure out of humiliating me?”

Alan looked insulted.

“Of course not! I just…. I don’t know what it is with me Denny, I see an authority figure and I feel the need to…”

Denny twisted in the car seat to look Alan in the eyes.

“To what?”

Alan sighed.

“To prove that they don’t control me. That despite some government body giving them power, it doesn’t extend to me.”

Denny thought about this for a second and then sat back straight.

“Load of crap.” He mumbled.

It was Alan’s turn to look surprised now.

“Excuse me?”

Denny gave Alan a mischievous grin.

“You couldn’t hold it in could you? Don’t let it bother you, many people can’t wait to touch Denny Crane.”

Alan smiled.

“Well there is that.”

With that, Alan and Denny were holding hands again. They sat in silence like that for a while.

“Have you ever done anything like this before?’

Alan feigned ignorance.
”Like what?”

“You know, the…. doing…….with a….” Denny couldn’t get the words out, much less know what words to use.

“Engaging in illicit acts with a man?”

“….Well yeah.”

Alan laughed.

“Don’t worry Denny, I’m almost sure I know what I’m doing.”

Denny didn’t get Alan’s subtle references

“How do you know?”

Alan settled for looking Denny straight in the eyes for a time until Denny got the message. Denny turned and looked out the window and chuckled to himself.

“Knew it.”

Denny absently rubbed his thumb over Alan’s hand, still locked in his own. This was going to be an interesting night.

Yes, I know I’m evil. There will be another chapter. Review!