A Show of Hands

"Oh, the glamor of show biz!" laughed Nikki.

Adam took her hands in his once more. Again she noted the tender strength within them.

"I've had a really great time today, Nikki. Do you think ..."

Again he took his deep, cautious breath. Nikki smiled slightly.

"Do you think I could see you again?" Maybe go to a move or a Broadway show? he asked hopefully.

"I'd like that, Adam. I'd like that a lot.

****

Over the next few months Adam and Nikki saw quite a lot of one another. Sometimes they were able to grab a quick luunch, and Adam even joined her gym so they could work out together. They often spent evenings and weekends together going out for meals or to one of New York's many museums.

Adam became a familiar face at Nikki's office, as he would often stop by to collect her there. Becky had become a friendly acquaintance too, and they would often chat while waiting for Nikki to finish up her work.

One evening while strolling down the street, Nikki observed, "You know, you've been to my office a million times but I've never gotten to see where you work."

"Yeah, I know. The studio can be a really crazy place, and they don't really encourage visitors. But if you'd like to see it, maybe I could ask the producer if he would mind you coming by for one of our evening shoots."

"I think I'd like that a lot," Nikki replied.

A couple of weeks later Adam had arranged it. When she arrived at the front desk they verified her name, then took her photo and laminated it into a guest pass credential which was hung around her neck. A page escorted her to the shooting stage which was a beehive of activity with script assistants, camera operators, riggers and lighting personnel scurrying about. She was parked toward the back of the room behind the director's chair and a small bank of monitors.

Suddenly Adam appeared on the set and was met by Darla who was carrying the Chunky-Chuck puppet. She appeared to explain something about the way the puppet's costume had been arranged for the shot as she placed it onto Adam's hands. She half-glanced in Nikki's direction and stood on her toes to whisper something to Adam.

Adam looked up to see Nikki, partially obscured by all the equipment. He smiled and Chunky-Chuck smiled too and waved at her. Nikki lit up like a kid at Christmas, waving back and giggling slightly.

The floor manager called for quiet and the bell rang two bursts for rehearsal.

Nikki watched for the next hour and fifteen minutes as the Chunky-Chuck played several scenes with Miss Dewlap.

On the show Chunky-Chuck was the lovable monster who ran the local pizzeria, and Miss Dewlap was the human character who was by day Chunky-Chuck's employee, and by night his landlady. This, of course, created plenty of opportunity for comedy, while also allowing for more serious themes, as needed.

On this particular evening they shot three different pizzeria scenes. All three were quite funny and the mood on the set was quite a jovial one. In between scenes Miss Dewlap would have to go and change costumes while Chunky-Chuck would only need a minor brushing or a hat pinned onto his head. Sometimes he would be swapped out for an identical puppet that had been outfitted with a special costume or prop attached. This was slightly jarring to Nikki as she had never thught of there being duplicate Chunky-Chucks. But one thing was clear; the show was a well-oiled machine and everyone worked easily with one another.

After the last shot was completed and the all-clear bell sounded the lights were dimmed on set and the fluorescent work lights flickered on. Darla collected the puppet from Adam and hurried off to store it. The crew quickly shut down and put away their equipment and said their good-byes and one by one disappeared from the studio.

The floor manager was always the last one out the door, but he noted to himself that he had never known Adam to invite a guest to the set before. He sensed that perhaps this might be a lady that Adam was trying to impress so he casually offered to let Adam do the final lockup and quietly excused himself.

Once they were alone, Adam showed Nikki around the set, pointing out how amazingly compact everything was with the few permanent sets in place, and the two variable sets that could be redressed to create whatever locale might be called for.

"This is all so magical," sighed Nikki. "All those times I watched the show with Wendy, I never stopped to think about how it was all done."

"Yeah, it's definitely a different world in here," Adam replied with one arm draped easily across Nikki's shoulder.

"Let me ask you something," said Nikki. "When Chunky-Chuck is sitting on the couch in his apartment talking to Miss Dewlap, where are you?"

Adam smiled, "I'll show you."

He took her by the hand and led her to the adjoining set. It was a bit dark, but she immediately recognized it as Chunky-Chuck's apartment. Adam guided Nikki to sit on the couch.

"This is where Miss Dewlap sits, and I..."

Adam disappeared behind the couch.

"... I crawl inside it like this."

Suddenly his arm popped up through a slit in the seat cushion causing Nikki to scream slightly. She instinctively slapped his exposed arm.

"Don't startle me like that" she laughed. Adam twisted his hand and it looked very sad. Even without a puppet on his hand he was able to convey thoughts, feelings and emotions. The hand seemed to look directly at her and spoke in Chunky-Chuck's voice.

"Gawsh, Miss Stewart. Didn't mean to give ya such a fright! I'm awful sorry!"

"Oh, that's all right. I forgive you." She stroked the hand tenderly. "God, these fingers are so sexy. "

"I'm awful glad that you like them," Adam's voice came from beneath the upholstery while his fingers curled affectionately around hers.

Nikki was becoming curiously aroused by this somewhat disembodied form of contact. They had made the decision not to jump into a sexual relationship but somehow the fact that she couldn't see Adam's face made it seem innocent and naughty at the same time.

Silently she let her fingers glide across Adam's hand. Though he could not see, he was very responsive to her every move, answering each caress, stroke and squeeze from Nikki.

She opened his fingers wide and placed his palm across her thigh. As she resumed her light caresses on the back of his hand, she was also slightly nudging his fingers upward.

Adam played back, allowing his fingers to slowly creep upward, responding to the urging of Nikki's own hand, but not going any faster than coaxed. After a few minutes of this, he felt his fingers brushing against what felt like a warm, moist lacy fabric.

At this point Adam assumed the lead. He deftly allowed one fingertip to glide beneath the fabric. The pad of his fingertip almost seemed to be asking a question. Where will I find my prize? It began lithely sliding oh, so deliberately from place to place. Soon a second fingertip, and then a third found their way under the lacy cowl, and before long had pressed it entirely aside.

Nikki's soft panting almost formed a moan, but not quite. Her own hand had abandoned the proceedings, mostly to brace her body in place on the couch.

Adam made no sound at all. He was very much accustomed to working blind, relying only on the tactile feedback through his hands and he concentrated on each subtle sensation of his fingers. The middle one seemed to take the lead now, as it slowly teased open her tender labia. Sensing the heat and wetness there, the digit almost seemed to call out to his two companions to join him, which they did without hesitation.

Slipping deftly inside their target, each finger assumed its own duty; the ring finger acting primarily to brace the soft walls of Nikki's core. The middle finger began a slow rhythmic gliding motion in and out. The index finger, well he had another target in mind as he very gently burrowed his way toward his prize.

Finding the bud of Nikki's clitoris just beginning to emerge from its hood, the index reached out and brushed her lightly almost as if inviting her to come out and play. As soon as she consented, Adam could hear Nikki's visceral response and her hips began to slowly rock forward and back.

Gasping pants soon followed, not quite filling the air, and Adam's masterful fingers continued their concert of motion.

His fingers probing insistently within her caused NIkki to instinctively clamp one hand across Adam's wrist with a small cry. The index finger flicked one last time against her clitoris and she squealed in unprecedented delight as a shuddering orgasm overpowered her, bucking against the hand in her lap which continued to gently stroke her, eventually guiding her back down to a state of normal breathing.

Nikki sat crumpled in an incoherent fog on the couch. By this time Adam's fingers had withdrawn and were now gently resting atop her thigh from whence this journey had begun.

As he began to sense that Nikki's senses were beginning to stabilize, Adam's hand slowly slipped back into the couch. He emerged from behind it and leaned over her shoulder, kissing her softly on the cheek. When she was ready to stand he gently lifted her to her feet.

He shut off the few remaining lights and locked up the studio, bidding goodnight to the security officer at the front desk.

They strolled down the street together toward Nikki's apartment, hand in hand, chatting merrily as they made their way. She suddenly became aware of Adam's hand once more, holding hers. The same hand that had been inside her just minutes ago.

"Adam, can I ask you kind of a weird question?"

"Of course"

"How ... how did your fingers feel almost like they had minds of their own? Each one seemed so independent of the other. Does that even make sense?"

"I dunno. I think it does. I guess as a puppeteer I have to distill an entire performance down into my hands, so every move they make is reduced to a subtlety. I get used to micro-movements carrying a lot of meaning I guess. I wasn't thinking about that, to be honest. I was just thinking about how good you felt. I hope it felt good to you.

"No, Adam it did not feel good."

Adam stopped abruptly.

"No? But I thou-"

"It felt great. It felt spectacular. It felt more amazing than anything I've ever felt before in my entire life, and I'll never be able to thank you enough!"

Adam blushed underneath the orange glow of the streetlights.

"C'mon, let's get you home. We both have to work tomorrow, and I still have to catch a subway to Queens," came his sheepish response.

****

The next day Nikki waltzed into her office humming and singing a cheery song. Becky just sat and watched, incredulously as Nikki hung up her coat and flitted past her.

"Good morning, Rebecca!" she sang.

"Good mor- ... um, I mean ..."

Becky sprang to her feet and chased Nikki into the back examination room.

"Omigod! Did he...? DId you...? Did you guys finally ...?"

"Becky! What's gotten into you? Why would you ask such a personal question?" But Nikki's indelible grin did not convince her that she was out of line.

"Oh, come on, Nikki! Out with it!"

Nikki relayed the goings on of the past evening as tactfully devoid of details as she could, Becky always begging for more details, and Nikki demurring each time.

About a week later Adam showed up at her office at the end of the day. They had planned on going out to dinner, but he was a bit early.

Nikki was busy in the examination room, straightening up a few things and restocking supplies when Becky poked her head in the door, mocking Nikki's sing-song tone from before.

"Someone's here to see you! And he's early!"

"Oh, good. Tell him to come on back. You can go, Becky. Just lock the door behind you. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Righty-o, chief! I'll see you in the morning."

A few moments later Adam poked his head in the door.

"Hi! Sorry I'm early, but I needed to see you professionally before socially. I broke one of the nose-pads on my glasses and I was hoping you might be able to helps me out."

"Of course, sweetheart. Have a seat in the exam chair and I'll see what I can do."

Adam had become quite accustomed to his glasses, so when Nikki slipped them off his face he was keenly aware of just how blurry things became.

He rubbed his eyes instinctively.

"My poor baby!" said Nikki. Why don't you lie back and rest while I fix these?"

She activated a lever on the side of the chair and the motor whirred as the chair flattened back.

Adam sighed softly as he reclined.

"Man, it's been a day today! Glad it's over!"

"Well you just keep your eyes closed and I'll have these fixed in a jiff. Then you can take me to dinner!"

"Good idea," Adam murmured, draping one hand across his eyes.

Nikki set herself to fixing the broken nose pad. Using delicate screwdrivers she expertly removed the offending part and began poking through a drawer of spare parts, searching for one that would be a reasonable match until she could get the frames back to Jules for a proper repair.

Nikki tended to get very quiet when she was working on tiny, delicate parts, and her concentration was laser-focused on the almost-microscopic screw as she twisted it back into place. She lifted her head and turned to address Adam.

"All finished! I won't say as good as new, but as good as I can get for the time being. Here, try them on and tell me how they fit."

Silence.

Adam had in fact dozed off in the exam chair. Nikki didn't want to disturb him, since it had been clear that he had had a rough day. She thought to let him have a nap for about a half hour or so before waking him for dinner.

She shut off the lights and drew the light-blocking shade plunging the room into near pitch black. The darkness somehow reminded her of their encounter at the studio. Though Adams hand now knew her intimately, he had still not seen her intimately. She wondered if she might not enjoy a similar indulgence, exploring Adam's body with just her hands.

As quietly as she could manage she drew her wheeled doctor's stool next to the exam chair. She prayed silently that the noise or motion would not wake him as she activated the control to lift the chair higher. Thankfully Adam's breathing did not change at all as he ascended as high as the chair would travel.

Nikki took a deep breath, and though it was already extremely dark, she closed her eyes, as tough to focus her mind only on what she could feel with her hands.

She lowered her hand onto Adam's leg, feeling the twill texture of his trousers. Already she could feel her own tingling at the contour of his robust leg, but forced herself not to give in to her own yearnings.

Slowly she slid her hand up his leg, and being careful not to exert too much pressure, allowed her palm to glide over the bulge between his legs.

Even though she had just made her bargain with herself, a slight whimper managed to escape in protest.

Using both hands, she unclasped his belt, and unfastened his trousers, folding back the fabric. A heady aroma made her swoon slightly.

Damn! she thought. This isn't going to be as easy as I thought!

Forcing her own concentration, she curled the fingers of her left hand under the elastic band of Adam's underwear and lifted it to gain admittance for her right hand, which snaked into the newly opened tunnel.

The first sensation was almost like that of a wiry brush, and she allowed her fingers to explore the dense curly hairs. But soon her imaginings needed to be satisfied as she lightly moved her fingers around to where she knew his penis would be.

Another whimper squeaked out of her lips at the sensation. Full, thick and hefty.

She wrapped her fingers more snugly around his semi-rigid cock and began to slide them toward the head. Her fingers bumped to a gentle stop when she hit the ridge at the base of the head. She let the tip of her index finger reach out and rest at the very tip.

For the first time, there was a shift in Adam's breathing. Suddenly Nikki felt a drop of moisture at her fingertip. she leisurely spread it from side-to-side across the bulbous head.

As Adam's erection continued to grow, Nikki turned her attention to gripping his thick shaft and stroking it back and forth. A low moan announced itself from the back of Adam's throat, but he did not seem to wake.

So she continued her journey along is length and back again, over and over, each time enjoying every little twitch and pulse that she could feel across the newly-awakened nerve-endings of her fingers.

Her left hand had by now slid beneath Adam to lightly cup his beautiful balls. She was not keen to manipulate them, knowing how sensitive they might be, but just traced their shape with her delicate fingers.

Next she lifted Adam's thick cock to point it straight up toward the ceiling. Suddenly Adam's whole body shifted slightly and his low, soft voice broke the silence.

"What's going ...? Where's ...? Why's it dark? ... Nikki?"

"Shhhh, babe. I was just trying my hand at what you did for me last week. So just stay still and enjoy, OK?"

A long sighing exhale was Adam's only response as Nikki resumed her ministrations. Since she could hear his breathing in response to her touch, she could modify it accordingly.

A low, soft moan would slow her hand down with a firm grip. Quicker panting was met with a more vigorous stroke. Anything that resembled a word would get a slow stroke down to the base of his cock, followed by a rapid upstroke.

When Nikki briefly felt Adams hand grasp her wrist, she knew that he was ready for release.

She began a quick, but not too fast stoke, at the top of which she would let one finger glide across the head. His breathing quickened yet again and with each stroke she could feel the swelling of the rounded tip.

When Adam let out a bellow it startled Nikki at first, causing her to squeeze tightly whereupon she felt the first constriction in her palm. She heard the sound of his semen as it fell from the air onto his body, the chair, and even the floor. Several more spurts followed. Next she felt the hot sensation of more cum, sliding down the back of her hand.

As Adam had done for her, she just gently continued to hold him without movement until he returned to earth.

He heard her stand followed by the sound of water running in the sink as she cleaned herself up. The sound of paper towels being dispensed was next as she clumsily cleaned Adam up as best she could in the dark.

"Hon, why don't you just turn on the lights?"

"No, Adam. That wouldn't be fair. You didn't get to see me, only feel me. For now I want to keep it the same. I mean, after all, we've already gone a lot farther than we agreed we should!"

"Fair enough", he intoned. "Why don't you go ahead and get your coat and things, and I'll finish cleaning up here.

A few minutes later Adam emerged from the back room, looking just a bit embarrassed.

"Sorry I took so long. I kept finding more. I'm afraid I really made a mess!"

"No worries, honey. Next time we'll both be able to see what's going on. I promise."

****

Six months passed during which time Adam and Nikki maintained their self-control and did not have another sexual encounter. Somehow preserving some mystery became an intensely bonding experience.

Another four months later Adam and Nikki got married. Nikki's parents insisted on springing for the wedding, especially since they were over the moon that their daughter had found a man they could entrust with assuring her happiness. Adam's mom and step-dad were similarly enthralled with Nikki, and she had been warmly welcomed into the family fold.

The ceremony was splendid and the reception even more so.(As it turns out, a wedding reception filled with actors, puppeteers and optometrists makes for a really fun party! Who would have thought?)