Denny was sitting in his study at home reading the latest Playboy magazine when the house phone rang. He reached over and picked the handset up from the coffee table and grunted, "Hello?" When no one answered he said a little louder, "Hello?" Just before he was about to disconnect, he heard something that sounded a lot like purring. "ALAN!" he yelled, "Jerry's on the phone! Pick up!"

Alan had been listening to jazz in the living room. He grabbed the remote to turn it off and walked over to the easy chair. Plopping down, he picked up the phone on the table next to it. Turning it on he said, "Denny? I've got it, thank you." After he heard the click he said, "Jerry! How are you?"

A series of clicks, pops and purrs erupted from the phone and went on for fifteen seconds before Jerry was finally able to say, "Alan, I need to speak with you, please. In person. Purrrrrrrr! Pop! May I come to your house?"

"Of course, Jerry. Are you coming now?" After five seconds of silence he asked, "Jerry, are you nodding your head?"

"Yes, yes! I was nodding! I'll be there in an hour."

Alan put the phone down and went to where Denny was reading his magazine. He smiled as he saw that the older man had turned it so that he could really appreciate Miss October. "Jerry will be here in an hour; apparently, there is something important he need to discuss with me."

Denny grunted as he stood up and stretched. "Good, the two of you can eat dinner together."

"You're going out?"

"No, I'm going to eat in our room. That way, the two of you can have some privacy. Let's go tell Olympia company's coming."

As they walked down the hallway to the kitchen, Alan queried, "Denny, is privacy the only reason you're eating upstairs? Do you feel all right?"

"Stop being a worry – wart, Alan, I'm fine. In the peak of health. Denny Crane!"

A couple of hours later found Alan and Jerry relaxing after dinner in the living room with brandy and cigars. "So. You said you had something you wanted to discuss?" Alan prompted. Their conversation so far, though pleasant, was hardly of earthshattering import. He was starting to wonder if Jerry had changed his mind.

Jerry sat without answering for so long, Alan was becoming concerned when suddenly, Jerry whipped his wooden cigarette into his mouth and said, "It's like this, Al baby: I wanna pop the question to my main squeeze and I wanna get some advice from you about how to make her say yeah so I can put a ring on it." He pulled his prop from between his lips. "The problem is," he continued in his regular, slow voice, "that just thinking about asking Katie to marry me makes me so nervous, my Asperger's goes crazy." He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small velvet box. "This is the ring I picked out. Do you think she will like it?"

Alan took the box and opened it to reveal a three carat marquise cut flawless diamond ring. "I would say yes and wear it if you offered it to me, but that wasn't the question, was it? Seriously, she loves you and she'll love this ring. What are your thoughts about proposing?"

"I purrrrrrrrr want to do pop pop pop! something romantic, but purrrrrr pop you see my problem. Will you help me? Please?"

Alan looked fondly at Jerry and thought, He deserves happiness and he and Katie are lucky to have found each other. "So, I'm to be Cyrano De Bergerac to your Christian and Katie is Roxanne?"

"Something like that, but," Jerry leapt from the chair and twirled in a circle twice before continuing, "I want to be the one to say 'Will you marry me?'" He stuck his cigarette prop back in his mouth. "Think about it, Al, willya? Get back to me in a couple of days. Katie's birthday is a week from today and I'm kinda leaning toward getting' it done then. If she liked my ciggie here, I'd go down on one knee tonight, but she's a hater when it comes to Silky Smooth Jerry, know what I mean?"

"Honestly, Jerry, this persona of yours has never thrilled me, either," Alan responded, "I like you, the real you and so does Katie. Tell you what: I'll give it some thought and call you on Saturday."

"Thank you, Alan," the bespectacled man sighed in relief before grabbing Alan in a bear hug.

Alan patted the man's back affectionately. I'm so glad Denny isn't seeing this!, he thought as Jerry broke the embrace. He followed his friend to the front door, handed him his coat from the closet and watched him go out the door and get in his car. He closed the door when the car pulled out of the driveway and headed upstairs to his bedroom.

His husband was sitting up in bed in his pajamas with a bowl of popcorn beside him sipping hot chocolate watching TV. He picked up the remote and pressed "Pause." "So, what was so important?"

Alan started getting undressed. "He is ready to propose marriage to Katie, but his Asperger's is making it problematic. He asked for my help." He reached in his closet and pulled his nightshirt off its hook and over his head. He slid into bed. "Is there any more chocolate? I see Rodeo brought up a cup for me, too."

"Not only is there is chocolate, there are mini – marshmallows, too," Denny replied as he poured from the thermos on his nightstand. Handing it to Alan he remarked, "Why didn't you tell him how I proposed to you?"

"Three reasons," the younger man answered as he sipped his treat, "One, Jerry is not suggesting to Katie that they marry so that she cannot be called to testify against him, secondly, it's not what he wants to say, it's his fear that his…condition will prevent him from saying it without turning into a quivering mass of tics."

"Oh." Denny pushed "Play" on the remote and "Grand Prix" restarted.

Alan munched some popcorn and pushed the "Pause" button again. "I didn't get to 'three' yet, Denny. I was not implying that the only reason you proposed was to ensure I couldn't testify against you. I know you love me. That is one of the few things I do know."

Denny smiled. "I know. I just like hearing it."

"The third reason," Alan added, "is that your proposal to me is mine. You know how I am about sharing. I will not share it with Katie." He grinned and grabbed some popcorn.

"I like that answer! Now, shut up and press 'Play'. I want to watch the movie."