Alan exhaled a long sigh swirling his scotch in the small glass. He lifted it to his lips.
"What the hell was all that about?" Denny snarled in the doorway.
Alan turned around to meet his enraged friend. "What was what all about?" He dully answered, going back to his scotch.
"You and Shirley on the dance floor." The older man sneered, clenching his fist.
"I just danced with her, Denny. It wasn't the first time we'd done that. Mad Cow or not, you know that." Alan kept his back to his best friend, taking another swig.
"Certainly looked like a lot more than that. Carl noticed too. He wasn't happy about it either, from what I saw. Trying to make one final desperate attempt are you? I told you to stay away from her, Alan." He warned.
"I don't care what Carl thinks, and I have stayed away from her, Denny!" Alan shouted back. Denny's anger vanished. Alan faced his best friend and finally snapped. "I did. I have for years now. No matter how much I've hated every moment of doing so, I've done it! I value our friendship, Denny, and I love you, but I am tired of this. She's not property you can claim. She's the most beautiful and intelligent woman we will ever know. She's magnificent in court. She's witty and charming without even trying. Now I get to watch her walk down the aisle with another man. So, if you're going to shoot me for all of this, then please do so already! Shoot me for dancing with her! Shoot me for caring about her! Shoot me for falling in love with her!" Alan turned his back on him once more. "At least you'll put me out of my misery, and I won't have to watch her marry Carl."
Denny felt like Alan had punched him in the gut. But then again, Denny had been in his place when it came to that woman. She certainly held a fantastic power over the men in her life, and Alan was no exception. He was right. She wasn't property, and who was he to treat her as such? It was ok for him to have multiple affairs and marriages but forbade any man from making Shirley happy, especially Alan. Denny knew no matter how hard he tried, men would fall for Shirley, and at some point, she'd fall for one of them just as hard, and there was nothing he could do about it in the end. She chose to end their relationship decades ago, and he didn't want to face the music. He'd lost her. In the end, he cared more about being a lady's man than her, and she deserved better than that. Denny looked back at his heartbroken friend.
"Do you really love her, Alan?" His voice cracked slightly.
"It doesn't matter, Denny."
"Yes, it does. Do you really love Shirley?"
"Yes. I haven't loved a woman like this since Mary." Alan swallowed the final drops of his scotch. Denny's jaw dropped. This was serious. Denny lowered his eyes for a moment. His heart was just as broken over the idea of Shirley marrying Carl, but he knew there was only one thing left to do.
"Then go tell her."
"What?" Alan twisted around, raising an eyebrow.
"If you really love Shirley, tell her." Denny couldn't hide the sadness in his figures. "I lost her a long time ago, and you're right. She's not my property. She's no one's property. And deserves much more than that. So, go tell her how you feel."
"Denny – as much as I would love to tell her, I don't have a chance anymore. She's marrying Carl."
"I doubt that after what I witnessed earlier. Besides, she'd not married to him yet." Denny smirked, approaching his best friend. "Look, Alan. Regardless of Carl. You'll regret it for the rest of your life if you never tell her."
"Denny –"
"Alan, you are not a coward. Stop making excuses and tell her. You have a chance to tell her. Don't waste it, man. I'm telling you, you will regret it. Don't be like me. Don't waste your chance with her."
He was right. Even if she didn't feel the same way, at least he'd finally feel a little better knowing he told her the truth. Alan placed the glass on his respected chair and embraced his best friend. Denny held the young man in a tight hug. He pulled away, placing his strong hand on Alan's arms, trying to swallow his emotions.
"I just want you to know. If Shirley has to end up with someone, I'd be glad to know it was you. But if you hurt her, I'll kill you, make it look like an accident, claim self-defense, and won't see a single day of jail time."
"I have no doubt, my friend. Thank you, Denny. I do love you."
"I love you too, Alan. Now that you practiced on me go tell Shirley." The Senior Partner chuckled, kicking his best friend off the balcony. Alan's grin returned, and headed down the hall.