HOLIDAY CHEER

That bothered Shirley more than the rest, since it was quite apparent to her that those two needed each other to keep in line. And it was her fear of them getting out of hand with the younger associates of Crane, Poole & Schmidt that sent her on her current mission ... corner Denny in his office now, before the annual Holiday Party began.

After all, as of this morning, he and Alan were not speaking, and episodes like that inevitably led to them both becoming overly lecherous toward the young ladies of the firm.

Shirley knocked on Denny's door, then let herself in ... to discover Denny sitting at his desk, dressed as Santa. "What can I do for you, Shirley?" he asked, as he lifted his glass in a gesture reminiscent of a toast, then added, "can I get you a drink?"

She considered declining the invitation, then thought better of it ... Denny may be more inclined to do as she asked, if she seemed less ... distant. "Scotch, neat," she replied, and as Denny stood to get her drink, she noticed that he was only half dressed. Denny was wearing nothing but boxers and black socks with the red coat and beard.

She also noticed that he was quite aroused ... the sight brought back fond memories of the times they had spent together in the early days of the Firm.

Denny smiled, as he turned to hand her the scotch, and noticed where her eyes were focused. "So Shirley," he said, as he went back to sit at his desk, "come and sit on Santa's lap, and tell him what he can do for you."

Shirley considered ... and took a large gulp of her scotch. It had been years since she and Denny had ... recreated in that way. And despite his recent memory problems, he apparently still remembered that she had a thing for a man in a Santa suit ... at least if that lewd grin on his face meant anything.

Before she said anything, or moved, Denny patted his leg, saying, "Come on ... for old times sake," then gave her a little wink.

She found herself moving toward him, and before she knew it, she was sitting on his lap. She could feel his hardness pressing against her hip, as she turned and kissed him ... the arms of the chair making it a rather awkward position to be in. She had intended for it to be a brief kiss, but Denny's hand on her breast felt so good, she intensified the kiss to show her appreciation.

Unfortunately, her back chose that moment to protest the way she was turned, and she had to stop and sit up. "Sorry, Denny," she said, as she tried to stand, but he held her in place. She didn't protest too much, as she added, "it's not that I'm not enjoying myself, Denny ... but I'm too old to be ... doing this ... in a chair."

"Well, we can shift to the sofa," Denny suggested, giving her breast another squeeze.

Tempted as she was, Shirley shook her head as she stood, then placed both hands on the arms of his chair, as she leaned down and kissed him again, saying, "Maybe later. Right now, we have a party to go to," and she stood up, adding, "or had you forgotten?"

"No, I hadn't forgotten the party," he said, rather affronted that she could suggest such a thing. He had grown rather touchy of the subject of his failing memory, and for some reason, Shirley seemed to find a perverse pleasure in torturing him about it. Gesturing to his get-up, he added, "Why else would I be dressed like this?"

"You do plan on adding the rest of the costume before you make an appearance, I hope," Shirley said, as she straightened up, retrieved the drink which she had place on his desk, and drained the glass. She put some distance between herself and Denny, trying to convince herself that the feelings she had for him at one time were long gone ... but they had only been buried. If she allowed it, they could come crashing back to the surface once again. A sudden flashback of the pain she had felt when she had discovered his cheating on her brought her back to reality ... and more importantly, to the reason for her visit to his office.

A gentle tap on his door made them both start. Shirley instinctively stepped back, straightening her clothes, while Denny pulled himself closer to his desk, saying, "That's probably the rest of my suit now," as the door opened to reveal Paul, fully attired in an elf costume, holding a pair of red pants.

Shirley's jaw dropped at the sight ... he was the last person she ever expected to be playing Santa's helper ... at least with Denny playing the part of Santa. Alan would have been her first choice, but of course, they weren't speaking right now ... but in his absence, she had assumed that Denny would go for one of the young women in the firm.

"Thank you, Paul," Denny said, "I'll take those." Standing, he took the red pants from Paul, and proceeded to put them on, saying to Shirley, "is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No, that's all," Shirley said, as she turned to leave Denny's office ... only to realize that she hadn't actually mentioned anything about his behavior at the party. She hoped Paul would keep him in line, but there was something about the way he was looking at Denny ... she shook her head, and left. She would have to speak to Alan ... there was no telling how he'd react to seeing Paul in his customary place at Denny's side.

"I know," he replied, nonplused, "but since I'd already rented the outfit, I figured I'd wear it anyway." He did a little pirouette in front of her, as he continued, "I've been told that I'm quite fetching in tights ... what do you think?"

Had she not been aroused by Denny just moments ago, she might have been able to resist. As it was, she couldn't help but notice how well he filled out his tights. Shirley tried to calm her libido, but she had always had difficulty resisting Alan's charms ... even at the best of times. This was not the best of times.

"Well, your lack of response can mean one of two things," Alan said, as he crossed the room to stand in front of her. "You either don't want to hurt my feelings ... or," he continued with a wink, "you're so turned on, you're afraid you'll do something you'll later regret."

She could feel herself leaning toward him ... at any moment, their lips would touch, and she'd be lost. She had to stop, before it was too late. Reaching out, she placed her hands on his shoulders, and physically held him at arms length as she said, "Alan, you look wonderful ... but ..."

"Don't worry, Shirley," Alan interrupted, "as much as I'd enjoy a dalliance with you, I've lost my heart to another ... and I've become rather single-minded when it comes to relationships."

"So does that mean you'll behave yourself tonight at the party?" Shirley asked as she released her hold on him, surmising whom Alan had lost his heart to, and knowing that he had a difficult task ahead of him, if her assumption was correct.

"Within reason ... after all, I do have a certain reputation to uphold," Alan said with another wink. He then kissed Shirley lightly on the forehead, and retreated to his sofa, gesturing for her to have a seat. "So tell me," he said, as she sat next to him, "who has replaced me as Denny's elf?"

"You don't know?" Shirley said, somewhat surprised.

"No," Alan replied rather seriously, "I had a memo from Denny this morning that I'd been replaced, but not by whom."

"Well, I should let you find out on your own," Shirley said, "after all, I'd love to see the expression on your face when you see him."

"Him," Alan said quietly, as if to himself, then gave Shirley his full attention once again, as he said, "I would have expected it to be one of the female junior partners, or an associate ..."

"That was my first assumption, as well," Shirley admitted, then after a moment of consideration, said, "it's Paul."

"Paul!" Alan said, then began to laugh. His laughter was contagious, as Shirley found herself chuckling at the vision of Paul, dressed as an elf, that returned to her mind. After a moment, he seemed to get his laughter under control, as he said, "Oh, that's too rich."

"Why?" Shirley asked.

"Remember last year ... when I had that bet with Brad?" Alan asked, then realized that Shirley had not been at the Boston office last year at this time. "That's right, you weren't here then ... well, I had a bet with Brad, that he lost. He had to be my elf for a day ... in full costume all day long, to do as I asked."

"I can only imagine," Shirley remarked, knowing how much Alan would have enjoyed humiliating Brad. "But tell me, how does that fit in with today's situation?"

"Well, of course, I had a wonderful time," Alan said with great satisfaction, then continued, "especially at the end of the day, when I had Brad in my office, fulfilling one last task for the day ... and Paul walked in on us."

"Oh? Should I ask what that task was?" Shirley said. Knowing Alan, it could have been just about anything, but she assumed it was something sexual, given the leer he was giving her as he related the tale. "Better yet, I probably don't want to know."

"Well, I won't go into the details ... but let's just say that Paul seemed to get turned on by what he saw," Alan said with a smile, then continued, "apparently, he has a bit of a Santa/Elf fetish."

"He's not the only one," Shirley mumbled to herself.

She realized that Alan heard her when he replied, "Definitely not the only one," but whether he was referring to himself, or surmised this about her, she didn't know. Alan then stood, and started to pace his office. After a moment, he said quietly, "I wonder ..."

"What," Shirley asked, when he didn't continue.

Startled, as if he had forgotten she was there, he looked at her and said, "Sorry ... just re-planning my strategy for the evening."

Seeing that he was not going to enlighten her further, Shirley stood, and headed for the door, adding, "Alan, if there's anything I can do to help ..."

"I'll keep that in mind," Alan said, then smiled as he asked, "How did he look in his elf suit?"

"Not as good as you," She replied, "but then ... well, he can only do so much with what he has to offer, if you know what I mean."

"I do, indeed," Alan agreed, conceding that Paul was not an unattractive man ... but in comparison ... well ... there was no comparison.

Scanning the room, he spotted Denny and Paul, beside the Christmas tree. The children of the office staff were all around them, as one after another, they sat on Santa's lap, telling him what they wanted for Christmas. Paul would hand each one a gift when they were done. By the looks of things, nearly all of the children had taken a turn ... only a handful remained in line, followed by some of the office staff themselves.

There were always a few who, after a drink or two, would insist on sitting on Santa's lap ... depending on who Santa was that particular year. Last year, almost all of the female staff members had sat on Alan's lap ... and a few of the males, as well. Denny had his fair share of lovely ladies lined up to take their turn ... for now, Alan would keep a low profile, but he was determined to sit on Santa's lap, too.

Denny's silence was killing him ... not to mention completely messing up his life. He hadn't had another one of his 'night terrors' since Denny stopped sleeping with him ... but he hadn't had much sleep, either. Denny's accusation that he had made it all up, just to get him into his bed ... well, that accusation hurt Alan tremendously. The fact that he hadn't had a 'night terror' while Denny was sleeping with him didn't help his case, either ... especially after two months.

After nearly a week of this silence, Alan was willing to do just about anything to get Denny talking to him again ... even if it meant admitting to Denny that he had made up the whole 'night terror' thing. He hadn't, of course, but he'd be willing to say he had, if it meant getting Denny back.

The line to sit on Santa's lap was down to only two when Shirley walked up to Alan. "Enjoying the party?" She asked, startling Alan out of his thoughts.

"Actually, I only arrived a few minutes ago," he replied, continuing to watch Denny. Just then, and idea came to him, and he turned his attention to Shirley, saying, "You said if I needed a favor ..."

"Yes," she replied, wondering what she had gotten herself into here.

"Would you be willing to go and sit on Santa's lap?" he said, adding quickly as he saw her shake her head, "as a distraction. I'm afraid if I walk up to him, he'll just turn his back on me and leave."

"No, I can't do that again," she replied quickly, but seeing the hurt expression on his face, added, "but I'll go over and distract him, if that's what you want."

"Thank you, Shirley," he said, as he kissed her quickly. "Looks like the last one is about to leave," he said, then gave her a little pat on the butt as she started to walk toward Denny.

She turned and glared at him, but continued over to Denny's side, engaging him in conversation as Alan circled around behind him. Just then, Paul looked up and was about to say something, but Alan held his finger to his lips, gesturing for silence. Paul complied.

With a sign from Alan, Shirley ended her conversation with Denny by saying, "Well Santa, looks like you've got one more customer tonight."

As Denny looked around to see who wanted to sit on his lap now, she stepped away. Before he could protest, Alan had placed himself firmly on his lap. Denny tried to stand, but was unable to move with the younger man's weight on him. "Get off of me," he whispered fiercely, not wanting to make a scene.

"Not until you listen to what I have to say," Alan whispered back with a smile. They may not have been the most welcoming of words, but they were the first words Denny had spoken to him in a week, and he would cherish them, nonetheless.

"This isn't the place," Denny hissed, scanning the room. So far, not many people had noticed, but that could change at any moment. Rumors had been flying concerning their recent falling-out ... there was no telling what the latest speculation was, but Denny didn't like any of it.

"I miss you," Alan said, wanting to say so much more, but not here ... not where so many people could overhear them. He knew Denny hated scandal and gossip around the water-cooler ... for that reason alone, he would not make a scene. "Denny, we need to talk," Alan pleaded in his most apologetic tone.

"OK ... I'll give you five minutes ... in my office," Denny replied, then gestured for Alan to get up. As Alan stood, Denny added, "meet me there in ten minutes," then he got up, and turning to his elf, said, "Paul, will you join me in my office for a minute?"

"Certainly, Santa," Paul replied, giving Alan a smile before following Denny.

Shirley returned to Alan's side as he watched Santa and his elf walk away. "What happened?" she asked, surprised that it was Paul, and not Alan, that was leaving with Denny.

"I'm not sure," he replied. "When he said he'd give me five minutes, I assumed he meant right away ... not ten minutes from now."

"Perhaps he had some unfinished business with Paul to take care of first," Shirley said, "After all, they are working together on a case."

"They may have some unfinished business, but I doubt it's the case," Alan said, then added more quietly, "although, I had assumed Paul was more into watching, than participating ... perhaps I was wrong."

"I don't understand," Shirley said with a frown.

"Paul, like Denny, is an avowed heterosexual," Alan explained, "yet last year, when he came upon Brad giving me a blow-job, he was turned on. I had assumed it was seeing an elf giving Santa a blow-job that did it for him, not that he was willing to participate in the act himself." Alan paused for a moment, seeing that Shirley was following his train of thought, then continued, "as you must be aware, Denny has continuously declared that he will not have sex with me." He saw Shirley nod, and continued, "to Denny, blow-jobs are not sex."

"Ah, I see where you're going with this ... do you think ...?" she started to ask, but stopped. Neither one spoke again until they got to Denny's office.

He looked at Shirley, who shrugged, then knocked, calling out "Denny? Are you in there?"

There was a crash, a muffled curse, then silence. A minute later, the door opened, and Paul left without saying a word. Alan and Shirley looked at each other, then cautiously peered around the door. Denny was sitting at his desk, mopping up the remains of a spilt drink.

"Shirley," he said with a smile, "I see you're back. Would you like to continue our ... conversation from earlier this evening?" he asked, completely ignoring Alan standing right beside her.

"Not at the moment," she replied, blushing slightly, adding, "I was just passing when Alan discovered your door locked ... we were concerned."

"I didn't want to be interrupted," he said, picking up the other glass on his desk, and taking a large swallow of his drink before he continued, "you were early, Alan."

"I know," Alan replied, "but ..."

Denny stood, waving Alan to silence. Shirley was glad to see that he was fully clothed, as he turned to her, saying, "Shirley, my invitation stands ... however, at the moment, it appears I must talk with Alan."

"Yes, you must," Shirley agreed, then looked at each of them in turn before adding, "I don't know what happened between you two, but I want you to kiss and make up." She had chosen her words carefully, knowing Alan would appreciate them ... and Denny would bristle. She had read them both correctly. Giving Alan a wink, she stepped closer to Denny, and kissed him before leaving his office.

"She wants me," Denny said as the door closed.

"We all want you," Alan replied, knowing that would get a reaction from him where nothing else would.

"Why do you insist on making everything sexual, Alan?" Denny asked.

"For the same reason you do," Alan replied, adding after a beat, "for attention."

Denny went back to his desk and retrieved his drink. Downing it, he went to the bar and made another, pouring one for Alan without even asking. Handing it to him, he said, "I'm sorry," as Alan began to speak.

They began to laugh, then Alan said, "Denny, I'm not here to get an apology out of you," and after a brief pause, he continued, "nor am I going to apologize to you, since I have nothing to apologize for. I just want to talk about what happened, and figure out a way around it, so this ... silence ... never happens between us again."

"Fear," Denny said, taking another drink before opening the door to the balcony and going out. Alan followed knowing that Denny seemed to find the atmosphere of the balcony more conducive to 'heart-to-heart' conversations.

"Denny, you have nothing to fear from me," Alan said as he sat in his customary place.

"It's not you I fear, it's the unknown," He started to explain, adding, "it's the ... desires ... wants ... feelings, that I can't explain ..." he fell silent, staring at Alan for several beats before continuing, "I'm too old to change who I am."

"Denny, who you are," Alan said with intensity, "is who I love. I don't want you to change ... nor will I ever ask you to do anything that you're not comfortable doing."

"I'm not comfortable sleeping with you," Denny said, adding with a smile, "but you've asked me to, time and time again."

"I know," Alan said quietly, "I've been selfishly fulfilling my own needs while ignoring yours."

"Well, I did enable you to do so," Denny said, adding, "I could have refused to stay with you right from the start."

"You were being a friend," Alan said. He took another drink, then leaned forward and placed his hand on Denny's knee, saying, "Look, we can go around in circles over this all night ... suffice it to say, I enjoy your company, and I think you enjoy mine," he paused, seeing a nod from Denny, he gave his knee a little squeeze, adding, "and if nothing more than this ever happens between us, I won't complain."

"But," Denny said, knowing that there was always a 'but' when it came to Alan Shore.

"But," Alan said with a smile, "I love you ... and if you find yourself wanting to overcome your fears, all you need do is ask, and I'll be there to help."

"Well, there is one thing I could use right now, in that regard ... if you're willing," Denny said.

"You know I'm always willing," Alan said with a smile, and let his hand slide up Denny's thigh. As his hand closed on Denny's crotch, he heard a small moan, and wasn't sure which one of them made it. Denny slumped down in his chair, giving Alan better access. Alan knelt between Denny's knees, opened his fly, and released him from his confinement. As he stroked Denny's cock, Alan said quietly, "Would you have let Paul do this to you, if I hadn't arrived early?"

"Paul?" Denny asked, sitting up until Alan gave his cock a gentle squeeze. "You're kidding, right?"

"Well, not entirely," Alan began, then paused to flick his tongue around the tip of Denny's cock, before continuing, "I'll explain later ... so," he asked playfully, "if this isn't because of him, who got you in this state?"

"Shirley," Denny replied quickly, then he gasped, as Alan's tongue circled him once again. When he could speak again, he added, "actually, I was in this state when she arrived ... she just ..." he couldn't go on, as Alan's mouth took him in.

"She just what?" Alan asked, as he came up for air.

His mouth was filled once again, as Denny replied, "She sat on my lap ... and ... kissed ..." He couldn't speak, as his climax grew imminent ... he thrust his hips upward, forcing himself deeper into Alan's mouth, as he came.

Alan took him in, swallowing convulsively ... wishing that Denny would reciprocate. But Alan would never ask him ... Denny would have to make the next move. Denny was spent, and Alan slowly released him, sat back on his heels, and smiled up at Denny, saying, "Better?"

"Yes, thank you," Denny replied, as he continued to sit back, apparently unable to move just yet.

Alan needed to get up, the hard concrete under the carpeting was playing havoc with his knees, but his own erection made movement difficult ... and would be extremely noticeable to Denny in these tights. So be it, he thought ... perhaps that's what it would take to get Denny to take care of him. grasping the arms of Denny's chair, he pulled himself up, standing there with his crotch in Denny's face for a few moments, before he was able to walk over to his own chair.

"That must be painful," Denny whispered. As he spoke, he sat up a bit, and got himself back in order. Once fully dressed again, he patted his lap, saying, "Come here, and let Santa take care of that for you."

Alan stood, looking down at Denny, and asked, "Exactly what do you have in mind?"

Denny reached up, and slipped his hands inside the waistband of the tights and underwear beneath, sliding both down to Alan's hips, releasing his swollen cock. He then grabbed Alan by the hips and turned him around. "Sit," he said, and Alan sat with his back against Denny's chest. Denny's arms encircled him, one hand stroking his manhood, the other reaching up under his tunic to fondle a nipple, which stiffened at the touch.

Denny shifted in the chair, so that they were more or less reclining ... and Alan lost himself in the comfort of Denny's arms. The firm grip on his cock quickly brought him release, and he turned his face to kiss Denny on the cheek, saying, "Thank you, my love."

She shook her head, wondering what had gotten into her tonight. Perhaps it had been too long since she had gotten any ... that's the only explanation she could come up with. That, combined with a few drinks, and men dressed as Santa and his elves ... too much temptation.

In any case, she made her way to Paul's office to check on him. She knocked on his door, but got no answer. Strange, because she knew he had headed this way ... had he returned to the party, he would have gone in the other direction. Thinking that he had possibly gone out on the balcony, thereby not hearing her knock, she let herself into the office. The room was dark, but a small amount of light seeped in through the open balcony door. He was out there, alone.

Shirley quietly crossed the room, and slipped out the door. At first, she couldn't see him anywhere. As she turned to leave, however, a small sound caught her attention, and she turned to where it came from. She saw Paul, on his knees, peering through a small crack in the wall that separated his balcony from Denny's.

It took her a moment to figure out what he was doing ... and when she did, she could only surmise that Denny and Alan had indeed kissed and made up ... or were at least in the process of doing so ... and Paul was getting off on watching them.

She was about to leave when Paul turned, sitting against the wall with a sigh. He spotted her, and started to speak, when she gestured for him to remain silent, and crossed the balcony to where he was. She bent down to peer through the hole, seeing Alan pull himself up from between Denny's knees. It was very obvious to her what had just transpired ... she hoped, for Alan's sake, that the show wasn't over.

When she looked at Paul, he was straightening up his clothes, whispering, "I can explain."

Shirley patted him on the shoulder, saying softly, "No need." At his quizzical look, she added, "Alan told me about last year."

"Oh," he sighed, as Shirley bent once again to the hole in the wall. A moment later, she turned away from the peephole and smiled, gesturing for Paul to follow her back into his office.

He stood, and took one last look, before joining her. What he had seen made him smile, as well. He would have loved to stay and watch ... but knowing those two, there would be ample opportunities for such a show in the future.

His office was still dark when he went in ... Shirley was nowhere in sight. "Over here," he heard her say, and he turned to see her silhouette over by the bar. "Can I make you a drink?" she asked, as she poured herself one.

"Yes," he replied, "I think I need one." Paul seldom drank ... the bar was there mostly for show, and to provide him the means of putting his clients at ease, should they feel the need for a drink. Even so, Shirley knew what his drink of choice was on those rare occasion, and poured him a generous shot of whiskey.

He sat on his sofa, Shirley gave him his drink, and sat next to him ... much closer than he would have expected her to do. She had one leg curled under her, so that she was sitting sideways, facing him. she took a drink of her scotch, then placed the glass on the table. Her other hand was already on the back of the sofa, and he felt her fingers softly playing with his hair, where it touched his neck.

He shivered, took a gulp of his drink, then he, too, set the glass down. Turning, he faced Shirley, and asked, "What are you doing?"

"I would have thought that was obvious," she replied.

"Well, yes," he said huskily, then cleared his throat, adding, "but why are you doing it?"

"Because I want to," she said, then leaned forward and kissed him with all the passion she had denied herself earlier in the evening with Alan. She and Paul had been friends for years, but never anything more ... and suddenly, she found herself wanting him.

He returned the kiss with gusto, his hands exploring her body as he pulled her into his arms. Before she knew it, she was lying on the sofa eagerly awaiting his lovemaking. But he stood, and walked away, only to return a moment later without his tights on. "Put this on," he said, and handed her a red Santa hat.

She smiled, doing as he asked ... after all, she was wearing a red suit with a white blouse ... close enough to a Santa suite for his fantasies. Strangely enough, this seemed to work for her, as well, as she put the hat on, and watched as he stroked himself to hardness. She could feel herself getting wet just watching him, and she opened her jacket, then unbuttoned her trousers. Slipping a hand inside her panties, she fingered herself ... he moaned and visibly got harder.

"Take off your pants," he said, and she complied. She spread her legs, inviting him to join her on the sofa ... he knelt between her thighs, running his hand along her leg, briefly touching her inner lips before slipping inside her. They both moaned as the heat and friction increased ... neither lasting very long before the climax came.

Spent, Paul collapsed atop of her. She kissed his ear, and stroked his hair. After a moment, he was able to stand, and he went immediately to the bathroom. While he was gone, she straightened her own clothing, and was pouring them each another drink when he returned, fully dressed in his usual suit once again.

He took the drink, and said nothing while he drank it all. He then turned to face her, and said, "Forgive me, Shirley."

"For what?" She asked, incredulously. He had done nothing that she hadn't wanted him to do.

"For ... what I just did," he replied weakly. He then went on, "We've known each other for so many years, and I've always been able to keep my ... perversity ... hidden."

"Paul, there's no need to apologize," she said, adding, "I enjoyed every minute of what we just did, and have no objections to a repeat performance ... now, or anytime in the future."

"But ... what about ... well, what you caught me doing?" Paul asked, shyly.

"So what," she replied, adding, "we all have our dark sides, and our little secrets. As for the peeping ... well, let's just say that, even though I've never done it before tonight, I can certainly understand the compulsion to do so ... especially where those two are concerned."

"You can?" Paul asked with surprise in his voice.

"Yes, I can," she replied, then stepped close to him and kissed him. "Come on, it's still early ... let me go freshen up, and then we'll go back to the party."

"Yes, if we're all gone for too long, the staff will begin to wonder what's up," Paul replied, giving her a kiss and a pat on the rump. He watched her walk away, smiling to himself. Denny had told him that she'd find his Santa/elf fantasy fascinating ... he had planned on bringing the hat back to the party with him, and ask her to put it on ... then invite her back up later, for a nightcap, and see what happened.

But her arrival changed all that ... after catching him in the act of peeping on Denny and Alan, well, he thought he had blown any chance he would ever have with her ... luckily, everything turned out for the best.

"Nice hat, Shirley," Denny said, as they sat down. She saw the look that passed between Denny and Paul, and knew that there were no secrets between any of them here. She could feel herself blushing, and saw the smiles all around that told her that everyone at the table noticed.

"Thank you, Denny," she replied, and to let them know that they weren't the only ones who thought they knew something, she added, "I see you two are speaking once again ... I must say, you both look ... gratified."

Denny choked on his drink, and Alan patted him on the back, as he said, "Shirley, you shouldn't say things like that while a man is drinking." His words were said seriously, but there was a twinkle in his eye ... he knew that she knew ... just not how she knew. He'd have to aks her one of these days.

"Sorry," she said, "couldn't resist." Paul patted her leg, knowing exactly what she had just done. He knew his next conversation with Denny would prove to be interesting, indeed.

Denny ordered another round of drinks. The four of them sat, eating their dinner, watching the dance floor, and sharing in the holiday cheer ... things would never be quite the same at Crane, Poole & Schmidt ... and for that, Alan Shore was eternally grateful!

The end