This time, they were headed to the same address because they both lived there. He was also pretty certain that there would be no sexual shenanigans, but if he’d get a kiss goodnight he’d be super happy.
He didn’t sleep in Denny’s bed every night. Sometimes one of them felt the need for space and the other would respect it. One night he’d even gone to sleep next to Sammie instead and knew that she’d slept in Denny’s bed once after having a rough day with her songwriting endeavors.
When they got home, the air between them turned sort of… tense. Tingly.
They took off their shoes and stood by the front door, making hesitant eye contact as if they were teenagers who’d been on a successful first date.
Denny ducked his head and chuckled, scratching his neck as he swayed toward Josiah in what was probably an unconscious way.
Josiah’s heart was in his throat. He’d been excited and turned on before, but suddenly everything ramped up to eleven and he got hard as if someone had flicked a switch.
“I….” Denny fidgeted and looked at him again. “I don’t….”
“Fuck.” Josiah let his chin drop to his chest and sighed. “Look, you have about ten seconds to head to your bedroom before I maul you.”
Denny let out a startled chuckle. “W-what?”
“I’m hard. I want you. I can see you’re not unaffected either, honey.” He nodded at the bulge in front of Denny’s slacks.
“Oh… right. Uh….” Denny took a step closer, and a moan slipped through Josiah’s lips. “I’m just gonna,” Denny said, then kissed him quickly before retreating.
“Was a nice date!” Josiah called to his back and watched as he jogged up the stairs, giggling like a teenager. Quietly, he added, “And I’m going to head to a very lonely shower to take care of my problem, I guess….”
The next day, Melody fielded calls and Denny kept Josiah up to date on what was going on during the workday. Most of their artists were fine with Denny’s coming out, several of them were overjoyed and some even sent stuff like flowers and one very suggestive gift basket from a quality adult store.
Harrison got pissed off and resigned by the end of the day, and in the end, he managed to get a couple of artists to leave with him, which was barely a loss in Denny’s books, so Josiah felt as though he could breathe a little better again.
There were a few interview requests, too, but Denny only gave one to an industry magazine he trusted and then told Melody that further interviews weren’t available, that he just wanted to do his job and that was it. Josiah was happy with that decision, because while they both saw the potential of him doing more interviews, it was also Denny’s private life they were talking about. He’d come out, he was going to live as a bisexual man from now on, and that should be enough.
As long as things between them didn’t change, Josiah was going to be fine with whatever Denny decided for himself.
The people of the Hare got wind of the interview, of course, and there were some congratulations and knowing grins and all that. None of the regulars reacted badly, so nothing changed at Josiah’s end, other than he now lived with a much more relaxed man, and that was everything to Josiah.
On Wednesday night, Alfie didn’t show up. Instead, they got a forlorn-looking Gray who stalked in at his usual time, gave Drea his phone and asked her to record his performance, and then got on stage to the new-but-used baby grand and had most people in the bar in tears with his rendition of the Johnny Cash version of ‘Hurt’.
When the last notes faded out, he cleared his throat, didn’t look at the audience and said, “I’m sorry, that’s… that’s all I have for you tonight.” Then he got off stage, took his phone—after a forceful hug he didn’t quite consent to but clearly needed—from Drea, and then stalked back out.
“I’m gonna check up on Alfie,” Josiah murmured. “You close the bar for me?”
“Yeah, and please do something with… this,” Denny said from his seat, gesturing discreetly at the still-stunned patrons.
Drea wiped her cheeks and went to the stage. “Hey, since we have some time, anyone else want to hop on and perform anything?” She tried to put on a cheerful expression but fooled no one.
An unassuming woman who had been coming in for a while, but had never performed before raised her hand. “I’ll play for you.” It sounded like a question and she flushed, uncomfortable as hell.
“Please, we’d love to hear you play!” Drea got off the stage and the woman took Gray’s spot at the piano.
Then she proceeded to blow everyone away with her talent for twenty minutes.
“That’s original music, I haven’t heard it before,” Denny murmured, his eyes sparkling in a familiar way.
“Oh no, Music Dad, what are you plotting now?” Yolanda asked as she came to hand over a drink to someone at their side of the bar.
Josiah chuckled and gestured at the door to the back. “You guys do your thing, I’m going to go call Alfie.”
“Sure,” Denny said distractedly, his eyes glued to the woman at the piano.
Josiah went to his office and thought for a moment. Alfie had been around the bar on nights other than Wednesdays every now and then. He seemed to have made some new friends, but also liked to come to the Hare alone.
