Joe watched the elevator doors close. Dave's words kept repeating in his mind. "I've already fallen in love with you." "I've already fallen in love with you." "I've already fallen in love with you."

"Hot damn," he yelled at the closed door. "Dave Gates is in love with me! The man I've dreamed of loving all these years is in love with me." He had to catch up with Dave. He ran to the elevator and pushed the call button. The elevator door opened immediately. Dave was standing there looking nonplused. Joe grinned as he stepped into the elevator with him. Dave shyly smiled back. As they stared into each others eyes his smile turned into an all out grin. Joe reached out and pushed two buttons simultaneously. The door closed; the elevator descended. As they stared into the depths of each other's souls, their grins faded away; they each got lost in the wonder of it all. The door opened into the foyer. When Dave didn't move, Joe reached out and pushed another combination of buttons. The door closed and the elevator ascended. Still neither man moved or broke eye contact. The door opened and Joe reached out his hand and caressed Dave's cheek. "I love you, Dave Gates. We've got the rest of our lives to discover each other. Let's start."

At the desk in the lobby, young Tim had watched the whole scene on the closed circuit TV and grinned to himself when he saw Joe offer his hand to Dave and Dave accept it as they exited the elevator. It was like watching a silent movie.

Joe stretched and yawned. He noted that the sun was up as the memory of last night suddenly came back. After making wonderful, fulfilling love to Dave, Joe had fallen asleep with his arms wrapped around the handsome hunk who ran the bookshop across the campus. That's what it had been, love, not just sex. Love. He stretched again and looked at the other side of the bed expecting to feast his eyes on the sleeping hunk. The bed was empty. He sat up and listened to see if he were maybe in the bathroom. The house was silent, but he could smell fresh coffee. Rising, he wandered naked into the kitchen. There was no Dave there. He wondered if he was out in the garden. First, he stopped to pour himself a cup of coffee, and saw a note lying next to the pot. He picked it up and read it.

Joe looked at the clock. It was only a quarter to six. He had time for a leisurely cup of coffee, a quick shower and a fast spin over to Dave's.

As he sat on the terrace sipping his hot coffee, he mulled over the situation and addressed an image of Dave in his mind. 'Last night you were sitting in that bar alone. It was as though you were waiting for me. I don't know where I got the courage to sit next to you. Nor how I was able to talk to you and take you to dinner. And now you've said that you love me. You are the ultimate man. I'm amazed that I had the courage to tell you to your face how I feel about you. Dave, if only you knew how long I have wanted to know you. I've watched you for nearly twenty years. I dared to get to know your partner, but never you. I'm such a coward when it comes to love. I wonder what you would think of me if you knew that.'

"Oh well. There is time enough for such truths later," he said aloud, and sighed. He stood up, stretched, and headed, still naked, to the shower.

As the water flowed over his big muscular frame, he imagined what it would be like to shower with Dave. Then suddenly, like a pop up ad on a computer screen, the image of Eric standing in the shower in front of him invaded his mind. Eighteen years had passed and the memory of Eric still got to him.

Showering with Eric had been one of Joe's favorite things. So many years later he could still almost feel Eric's hands gliding over his body. Joe had loved him, overwhelmingly. He had put his whole life and soul into loving Eric. Those enticing lips that were always curled in a smile. Those enigmatic eyes that bewitched. Eric, so young, so beautiful, so stupid. Joe fell to his knees as the pain in his heart and head beat him down. He couldn't catch his breath it hurt so bad. He doubled up with his head on the tile floor, remembering the day he had gone home early to surprise him with a hot home-cooked meal, but Joe had been the one who got the surprise. He thought nothing of the stereo playing lounge jazz when he entered the house. Eric often left the stereo on when he left for class. The music had covered the sounds emanating from the bedroom until Joe had opened the door and there was Eric - legs in the air as an older man plowed his rear. Eric had simply grinned at Joe. He had sworn that Joe would always be the only man in his life, and here he was in the bed where he and Joe had first consummated their love, getting fucked by a stranger. The whore. The desecrator. The liar.

"Want sloppy seconds, Babe?" Eric had brazenly asked. His eyes had a glazed look. He was obviously high on some drug.

The other man hadn't even slowed down as he continued to fuck Eric's beautiful ass. He grinned at Joe, also, with drug-glazed eyes. "This is some hot ass, Man. You should try it," he panted.

Joe had shuddered, closed the door on that horrid scene and walked out. He had only returned to the house when he knew that Eric was out, and then only to remove his clothes. The house and the rest of his belongings - he simply walked away from them.

He'd never spoken to Eric again. Eric had been frantic to make things right, but he didn't realize that what he had thoughtlessly destroyed could not be rebuilt. Every time he called, Joe would simply cut the connection. Finally, after a week, Joe dropped out of his classes and left for an extended stay in Italy.

Two years later Eric was dead. Beaten, mutilated, and left to bleed to death by one of his tricks. Joe's mother had sent him the newspaper clippings adding a cryptic note that the man, she refused to grace him with a name, had deserved to lose the body parts that were never found. Joe finished his studies before returning from Italy. He had asked his dad to have the house cleaned out and to sell it. That was the end of Eric, except at moments like this, when memories of him would slip into Joe's thoughts unexpectedly and disrupt his emotions all over again.

Joe had tried many times, in the first years after Eric, going out to bars looking for someone that could make him forget. After a while it just got too boring. One nighters were not what he wanted and no man seemed to want a wounded lover. So he'd just quit looking. It was soon after Joe had returned from Italy and started working on his PHD, that he'd rediscovered Gates-Way Bookstore. Being an avid reader he spent lots of time in the store. When he saw Dave again, he was entranced. Here was his ultimate dream man, older, more mature, and even more handsome. But Dave was happily married to Bill, the store's co-owner. All Joe could do was dream, never touch or even approach him. Dave became the saint to which he prayed; Saint Dave of the Unrequited Love. Untouchable. Adored. Worshiped from afar.

For nearly fifteen years he had remained celibate and dreamed of loving no other man, except Dave. Nothing had come of that dream until last night. Thoughts of Dave again flooded his mind. The pain receded. He sat back against the tile wall and let the hot spray of water beat on his face. He washed the images of Eric from his mind, and imagined those images swirling down the shower drain. He continued thinking of Dave. Dave standing in the elevator saying, "I've already fallen in love with you." Dave lying naked beside him, telling him, with a post coital satisfied smile, that he loved him. The pain receded more; he could breath easily again. He staggered to his feet and finished his shower. Joe dried off and dressed, continually telling himself that he was going to see Dave in a few minutes, and everything would be okay. Eric would never get to him again.

Meanwhile, Dave ran his regular route down Garland Boulevard toward downtown. When he reached Fifth Street, he turned and jogged back the way he had come.

As he ran, he rehashed the events of the last twelve hours. He hadn't been able to place where he knew Joe from, even after he had seen the photo in a silver frame sitting on the grand piano with a bunch of other framed photos, it still took a while to register. The photo showed him in a business suit, sporting a neatly trimmed beard. It was the same photo Dave had seen in 'The Architect's World' magazine article on the Tower Condominium that Joe had designed and built.

As he thought about it, he realized exactly where he had seen him. He remembered that at some point in every week in the bookstore, for he didn't know how many years, he'd looked up and made eye contact with 'those golden eyes.'

Those beautiful eyes had haunted him forever it seemed. But with a clean shaven face and sun bleached hair and eyebrows, Dave had missed the connection. Then he recalled the conversation in the bar last night. He could hear Joe saying, "I don't mind you looking at me. I've been looking at you for a long time. You're a damn handsome man." Dave then knew why Joe had been looking at him for a very long time. He was in love with him.

The funny thing about the Professor (that's the way Dave had thought of the bearded man with the golden eyes in the bookstore) was that every time Dave had ever tried to approach him, he had disappeared, except the one time that Dave had approached him unawares and helped him find a book, but even then he'd taken the book and had run. Funny how he still remembered the name of the book that Joe had been after that day; Lawrence Durrell's 'Nunquam.' He'd gotten lost looking into Joe's eyes. He had stared until Joe had abruptly thanked him and fled. He recalled having mentioned Joe's eyes to Bill one time. Bill had by then made a point of getting to know the Professor. Dave recalled many a time that he had seen the two of them chatting it up over an espresso. Bill had always insisted that the man had green eyes.

And then he thought about last night. Last night had been the most wonderful night he'd had in over two years. It was so good to have a man's arms wrapped around him while he slept. Sleeping with Joe was nothing like sleeping with Bill. As soon as Bill was ready to go to sleep, he had always turned to his side of the king size bed. With Joe, he had been aware that even though they both moved about in their sleep, he'd still awakened wrapped in Joe's arms. It had made him feel treasured, something he'd never felt before. He wondered if time would put an end to it. It momentarily surprised him that he was thinking long term. But then, what was strange about that? The only relationship he'd ever been in, had been for nearly twenty years. Yes, Dave was ready for another long-term relationship, and he was positive that Joe was the man. He just wasn't sure who the man was that he knew as Joe.

Dave walked the last couple of blocks back to the house, thinking about Bill and his coffee shop. Bill had loved having the coffee shop in the bookstore. Shmoozing with people was what Bill did best. Of course, he sold many books that way. Dave chuckled remembering how people never seemed to catch on that Bill was selling books while seemingly just chatting. Damn, he missed the man.

He went into the bedroom, shucked his sweat drenched clothes, and finished his cool down with stretches, while thinking about Joe and Bill sitting in the coffee shop. He wondered why he'd never been tempted to join them. He put that thought out of his mind and jumped into the shower. Just as he stepped under the water he heard the phone ring. He stuck his head back out to listen to the message. It was Joe. "Hey Dave, I bet I caught you in the shower. I'm headed to your house. See you in a few."

Dave smiled to himself. He hurried through his shower, shaved and threw on some jeans and a sweat shirt. The doorbell chimed just as he slipped his bare feet into a pair of penny loafers. He examined his image in the full length mirror.

He looked good to be forty-two, and he felt like a teenager as he headed to greet his new lover. He paused before he reached the bedroom door and thought about that. New lover? For a moment he felt guilty. Was he being unfaithful to Bill? He looked at the smiling photo of Bill setting on the dresser. In his head, he heard Bill say, "Go for it, Dave. He loves you."

Dave said aloud, "Thanks, my love. I'll always love you." He kissed his finger tip and touched it to the picture. He had a lump in his throat that could have been from missing Bill or maybe the lump was his heart, because Joe was just on the other side of the door. He quickly decided it was a bit of both.

The doorbell chimed again. Dave thrilled; he felt like skipping, he was so happy. He hurried to open the door for Joe. They looked at each other and were both overcome with a shyness that only new lovers have toward each other in the beginning.

"Hi, Dave." The pain from recalling Eric's betrayal still shadowed Joe's eyes.

Dave immediately noticed it. "Joe, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong now that I'm here," he said and smiled.

Dave suddenly remembered his manners. "Come on in."

"Thanks." Joe crossed the threshold and caressed Dave's cheek.

For a moment they stared at each other and then Joe leaned down and kissed him. Dave wrapped his arms around Joe and kissed him back. When they broke the kiss, Dave leaned back looking at him. "For a moment there, I was afraid you were having second thoughts."

"No, Dave, I was thinking how lucky I am to have the man of my dreams return my love."

Dave still felt that Joe was hiding something, but he let it pass. "Well, if I am he, you are. I love you, Joe."

Joe kissed him again. When Dave thought he would pass out from lack of oxygen, he broke away. Taking Joe's hand he led him into the kitchen. "Come, let's find something to eat. I've had only a glass of water since I got up this morning." Motioning toward the breakfast nook, he said, "Have a seat. I'll get the coffee started."

After he started the percolator, Dave poured two glasses of orange juice, handed one to Joe and sipped the other as he rummaged through the fridge for breakfast fixings. The percolator was another of Bill's eccentricities; he had always preferred his morning coffee perked and Dave continued making it that way out of habit. Soon he had a package of frozen chopped spinach sauteing, English muffins toasting, Canadian Bacon sizzling and eggs poaching. He quickly made a hollandaise sauce, using real butter and fresh squeezed lemon juice.

He took a red ripe tomato from the window sill over the sink, washed and sliced it into eight wedges. The egg timer chimed. He removed the eggs from the simmering milk to a saucer. On each plate he made a nest of spinach on which he placed two halves of a toasted muffin. He slid a slice of Canadian bacon onto each and then topped those with a poached egg. He spooned the Hollandaise over the stacks, and placed the wedges of tomatoes in a decorative pattern on the spinach.

'Not a breakfast of champions, but one that's appropriate for our first breakfast together as lovers.' The hair on Dave's neck tingled at that thought. 'Am I serious?' He looked at Joe. 'Is he serious? The look on his face says he is.' Dave basked in the adoration in those golden eyes. 'Why is it they're always green until he looks at me?'

He placed a plate in front of Joe and received a big grin of appreciation. "Whoa, you're a gourmet cook."

Dave grinned back at him. "No, that was Bill. He loved to cook. I just do a few little things, like this."

"Oh, this is a little thing. I see. Not only did you make it look appetizing, but you timed everything perfectly. Just how many people can do 'a little thing like that'? I can't, and I was raised by an Italian mother."

The compliment embarrassed Dave, so to hide it, he said, "Don't get smart or I'll take it back."

Joe grabbed both sides of his plate and laughed, "No way, Dave. This looks too good to let you have it back."

"So why don't you taste it and see if it is edible?"

Joe took his knife and fork, cut a bite and placed it in his mouth. Dave watched him close his eyes and hum as he slowly chewed. "Tastes even better than it looks. Will you marry me?"

Dave reacted as if he'd been hit in the face with a cold wet bath sponge. He knocked his chair over backwards as he suddenly stood up, and stumbled to the sink. He gripped the edge of it as if he might fall if he let go and stared out the window. Tears ran unchecked down his cheeks.

Dave's reaction surprised Joe. He dropped his knife and fork and stood up. "Dave, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I mean..... I did mean that, but I didn't mean...... Damn! What I meant was that I do want to marry you, I just didn't mean for it to sound so trivial...trite." He moved over to Dave and took him in his arms.

Dave dropped his forehead onto Joe's chest. "I'm sorry. Maybe I'm not ready for this, Joe."

"What do you mean, Dave?"

"It suddenly hit me that Bill is 'really gone.' He's not coming back......ever. I've got to stop waiting for him." He let out a shuddering sigh. "And...... even though I love you, I just don't think I'm ready. I'm sorry, Joe. I'm really sorry." Dave struggled to disengage himself from Joe's arms.

Joe held on to him. "Dave, look at me." Dave didn't respond. Joe lifted his chin until he made eye contact with him. "I love you, Mr. Gates. I've been waiting for years.... not knowing if you would ever be available to me. I've not wanted anyone else. I will continue to wait for you....until you are ready. Do you understand?"

Dave nodded his head, and Joe let go of his chin, then when Dave laid his head back against Joe's chest, Joe caressed the back of his head. "We'll take this slow. But one thing you've got to do, Dave, is to let yourself grieve Bill's death. It's being cruel to yourself not to."

Dave nodded, mute with his grief. Joe continued to hold him, rocking him gently in his arms "Would you take me to visit his grave, Dave?" he asked. "I'd like to leave some flowers in remembrance of all the wonderful hours we talked in the coffee shop. He was always friendly to me, but I would never let our association advance to a friendship. I missed out there. I think he would have been a good friend. Will you do that for me?"

Dave nodded again. Joe hugged him. Dave lifted his arms and hugged him back. Joe raised Dave's face and kissed him on the forehead. Dave laid his head back against Joe's chest and squeezed him tightly. "I'm so glad you're here, Joe. I really need you, you know."

"No more than I need you in my life, Dave Gates. No more than I need you."

When they sat back down, Dave played with his food, while Joe appreciatively cleaned his plate.

That evening Joe left Dave to join his family for his birthday dinner. Joe had asked him to join him, but Dave had adamantly refused. "When we know each other better, I'll meet your family," he promised. "Go enjoy yourself, tonight."

Joe's family knew something was going on with him.....the enigmatic little smile that he couldn't keep off his lips gave him away. Half way through dinner his mother glanced at him for the hundredth time, then said, "Ahh, you've met someone."

Joe's enigmatic little smile immediately turned into a full fledged grin. "Yeah, I have."

"So why haven't you brought him to meet the family?"

"We're not to that stage yet, Mom."

"I want to meet the man that has brought the smile back to your face."

Joe grinned again. "You will, Mom. I promise. And I promise you'll love him like a son."

"So what is this man's name?" his father asked.

Joe shook his head. "I'll introduce you to him as soon as he's ready."

Joe's younger brother watched with a frown, while his younger sister smiled.

"So you won't even tell us his name?" his mother asked.

"Leave him be, Angie. He'll tell us when he's ready."

Joe nodded his thanks to his dad. "You'll forgive me for eating and running?" he asked his mother.

She studied her oldest son for a moment, then smiled. "Of course, Joe. Go be with the one you love. But wait, let me put together a plate of food to take to him."

Dave was surprised when he answered the door at nine-fifteen to find Joe grinning at him. He glanced at the plate then back at Joe. "Mom sent this to you. She didn't want you to starve."

Dave took the plate, lifted the edge of the plastic wrap and took a deep sniff of it. "Smell's delicious. All I had for dinner was a bowl of cold cereal."

"Let me warm it up a bit and you can eat," Joe said, taking the plate of food back and heading into Dave's kitchen.

Dave followed and watched him stick it in the microwave. "You just came over to bring me this?" he asked.

Joe frowned. "No, I couldn't stay away from you. This was just something from my mother since I was headed back here anyway," he said, as he took Dave into his arms.

Dave melted against him. "I missed you."

The timer dinged. Joe let go of him and pulled the plate out. "Come on, 'Mange! Mange!' as my mother would say."

He sat down next to Dave to watch him eat and ended up being fed nearly half the food on the plate. Dave wiped his lips and grinned. "Tell your mom thanks. It was more than delicious."

Joe leaned over and licked Dave's lips and then kissed him. "Mmmm, but not as delicious as you."

Sunday morning they had a light breakfast after Dave's run. They showered together, not playing around, but still enjoying bathing each other. Joe not once thought to compare the experience to showering with Eric.

"Are you sure you can go through with this, Babe?" Joe asked as they dressed. "We can do it another time if you wish."

"No, today is good. I need to tell Bill about you. As trite as it sounds, we do need closure. Going with you will do it. It will be good."

Joe didn't respond with words. He took Dave in his arms and held him for several minutes. Dave embraced him in return. They were both feeling that they were exactly where they were meant to be.

At the cemetery Dave led Joe to Bill's grave, next to his father's, William Sr. There was a huge old family crypt with the 'Way' name incised above the rusty steel plate door. Dave watched Joe look from it to the two grave stones next to it, and shrugged when Joe looked questioningly at him, and said, "William stated in his will that he was not to be interred with his family. Bill wished to be buried next to his father."

Dave approached Bill's grave, knelt, and placed a bouquet of flowers in the vase built into the headstone, as Joe stared at it for several moments. "Bill, I don't need to introduce you two guys. I have to let you go, my love. There's another man in my life now. He needs and loves me as much as I love and need him. I'll see you, Babe, in not so many years. We'll be together, forever. Wait for me."

Dave stayed with his head down for several minutes. Joe knelt on the opposite side. After hearing what Dave had just said about being together again with Bill, Joe had a difficult time getting back to saying aloud what he'd been rehearsing in his mind. With tears in his eyes at the thought of Dave going back to Bill, he started talking. "Bill, I just want to say that I really enjoyed our chats over coffee. I wish I could have been more open and let a friendship develop between us. But you know why I couldn't. I want to thank you for letting me have the love of your life. I promise you, Bill, that I will always love and cherish him as much as you did. Bye, ol' fellow."

He smiled at Dave, who misinterpreted Joe's tears to be from sadness over Bill's death. Dave smiled back and said, "I'm ready, Joe. The rest of my life is with you." Joe stood and walked to the foot of the grave. Dave joined him, and took his hand. "Bye, Bill," Dave said and led Joe back to the car.

Joe was quiet as he drove back to Dave's house. Dave sat sideways with his left leg folded up on the seat. He watched the shadows dart through Joe's green eyes. Although he figured that Joe would eventually tell him what he was thinking, he finally had to nudge him. "A penny's worth, at least?"

"What?" Joe was startled out of his thoughts.

"I was just hoping you'd share your thoughts with me."

Joe looked at him, the gold tinting his eyes as he did. He turned back to watch where he was driving. "Dave? What will happen with us.....you and me, when we die? I heard you promise Bill that the two of you will be together." He glanced back at Dave. "What about us? Will we be together, too?"

"Of course we will be, Joe. I believe that everybody we love will be with us for eternity. You'll be right there with me and Bill."

Joe was quiet for a while more. "Dave?"

"Yes?"

"I might be selfish, but I want you all to myself for eternity. I don't want to have to share you."

"Me, too. I feel the same way about you."

Joe smiled at him as his golden eyes radiated his love.

When they got back to the house Dave slipped into the bedroom and picked up the photo of Bill. After gazing fondly at it for a few moments he kissed the glass and slipped the photo into the top drawer.

Later, when they sought the bed together, Joe noticed the absence of Bill's photo. Thinking of what that meant, he drew Dave into his arms and made passionate love to him.

The Monday morning after their birthdays, Dave was doing his morning routine in the bookstore. He had a silly little grin on his face, and ever once in a while he would start whistling a tune. Sue caught him in the back office doing a little jig as he whistled. Sue had been a sophomore when Dave and Bill opened the bookstore. She'd been their first employee. When she graduated they'd offered her a full time job as manager of the store. She'd accepted. She'd also become their closest friend.

"Where'd you meet him? Come on, Old Man, give me the low down. What's his name?"

Dave blushed a deep scarlet.

"Don't you have any respect for your boss." He glared at her. "I'll give you the low down. I'll make you get down on your knees and beg my forgiveness for calling me old."

"Isn't forty the top of the hill?" she asked in a little girl voice.

Dave broke up at her feigned innocence, knowing she was just a year younger than himself. "Bitch," he said through his laughter.

"So...who is he?"

"You know him. Joe Paolini."

"The name rings a bell, but I can't put a face to it."

"He comes in here fairly often. I'm sure you've seen him. A big fellow. GQ handsome. Light brown hair, he used to have a beard, golden eyes."

"Okay....I get a face, but he has green eyes."

Dave blushed. "Yeah, green eyes," he agreed.

"Yes, I remember him. He's the one that always acts like he's perusing a book while he watches you."

"You noticed that, did you?"

She nodded with a grin.

"He's stopping by tonight. You'll get to officially meet him."

The day dragged as much for Sue as it did for Dave. She wanted to see who it was that had broken Dave out of his shell. When Joe walked in, Sue was at the check-out desk. She thought she would swoon when the handsome man approached her.

"Is Mr. Gates in?" he asked in his resounding baritone voice.

"Who?"

"Dave Gates, the owner of this bookstore."

"Forgive me. I just had to hear you speak some more." Joe blushed at Sue's forwardness. "Who may I say is looking for him?" she asked.

"Just tell him Joe is here, please."

Sue wasn't disappointed, but she'd been expecting a man with a beard when this handsome hunk walked in. She leaned down to the intercom, and said in a lilting sotto voce, "He's here! And he's gorgeous." As she straightened up she asked, "What happened to the beard?"

By then Joe had figured out that Sue was playing him. He decided to play back. "I got it caught in a wringer and it was pulled off," he answered with a straight face.

"Ouch, that must've hurt," Sue replied with false sympathy.

He frowned while having a difficult time not to grin. "Nah, it hadn't grown in very deep."

Sue couldn't keep it up; she burst into laughter. "I like you Joe Paolini. You definitely are just what Dave needs."

"Thank you, Ma'am." He bowed. "I'm afraid you're one up on me. I don't know your name."

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's Sue. Sue Morrows." She held out her hand.

He took it in both of his. "I'm pleased to meet you, Sue. We're going to be great friends."

"I hope so, Joe, seeing as how we've been seeing each other here for years. I like you already. Ah, here's the boss."

Dave walked up. When he saw Joe's red face he knew that Sue had purposefully embarrassed him. He let it pass knowing Sue would do the same to him given the chance. He looked at Joe and was suddenly shy again. "Hi, Joe."

"Dave," he answered smiling at him.

Sue was fascinated watching the two men. And then she noticed Joe's eyes. She turned to Dave. "You're right they are golden. I'd of sworn they were green awhile ago."

Dave smiled as he gazed up at Joe. "You were right, too, Sue, they were green awhile ago."

Joe grinned at them feeling awkward with the two of them discussing him. "You're both right, my eyes are hazel, they change with my mood. Are you ready to go, Dave?"

"Sure, let me get my briefcase." He walked back to his office.

"Some Sunday, when you're both off, you must join us for dinner, Sue. I know the repartee will be most entertaining." Joe said while waiting.

"I'd love to, Joe, but I don't know that Dave would add much to the conversation. He seems to have lost the knack for talking since last Friday."

"I heard that," Dave said walking up to them. "And I'll have you know, Miz Morrow, that my conversation is scintillating--well, as long as Joe is the subject that's being discussed." He grinned mischievously at Joe.

"Jeez, do you two ever turn it off?" Joe asked blushing and laughing at the same time.

They both looked at him as though it was incredulous that he'd even ask such a question, and then burst out laughing.