I never would have thought that I’ll ever continue writing on this fiction. The idea was born two years ago, ever since I haven’t written a word. But Laura encouraged me to work on it, so THANKS Laura! Without your kind words I wouldn’t enjoy writing so much these days. Of course I don’t own The Nanny, but it’s just so much fun playing with these wonderful characters! I hope you’ll enjoy it!
P.S. English isn’t my mother language, so there might be a few mistakes in the story! ;-)
Comments are very welcomed.

A Modern Way to Fall in Love

Chapter One: Chatting is fun.

by

Rebby
(nannyrebby@yahoo.de)

"Whoa-oa-oa.... IIIII feeeeellll good, dududududududu.... I knew that I would dududududududu... I feeeeeeeeeeel good..." The water was rattling down her body. She knew she had to hurry and that her best friend would ring the doorbell any minute, but she enjoyed her daily morning shower anyway. Her name: Francine Joy Fine, called Fran. Fran, 18 years old, was in 12th grade and still went to highschool the day everything began. She always slept until 7:00am in the morning, but today she had overslept. However, she didn't even care because today was Friday. She loved Fridays. Every Friday Val, her best friend, came over and they had a real ladies night. They chatted and giggled and laughed their hearts out. They ate ice cream and watched slushy romantic movies. Actually they did exactly everything girls their age do!

It was 7:45am when Val ringed the doorbell. She'd known Fran since they were little girls in kindergarten. They were real best friends who had a lot in common and stuck together no matter what.

"I'll get it. It's probably Val. Bye Ma, see ya later." Fran rushed through the living-room heading for the door when Sylvia, her mother, yelled a goodbye after her daughter.

"Morning Fran," Val happily greeted her best friend and gave her a big hug.

"Morning Sweetie. How are ya?" Fran closed the door behind her and gave Val a kiss on each cheek.

"Oh, ya know, I'm so excited 'bout our ladies night... every Friday I am really looking forward to that!" Val told her in total excitement when they headed down the stairs starting off to school.

"Yeah Sweetie, it's always fun... so what kind of romantic movie we'll watch tonight? Your choice this time, remember?" Fran smiled.

"Oh, right... well, I thought about Sleepless in Seattle. I really love this Tom Hanks guy you know…" Val grinned.

"Alright, Sleepless in Seattle it is... wait, Meg Ryan is in that movie, right? I really loved her in When Harry met Sally... especially that scene you know... in the self-service restaurant... WHOO-HA, was that hot or what?" Fran laughed about the shocked look Val gave her. Val had never been quick in thinking or remembering things but suddenly it hit her and she remembered the scene, too.

+ + + + + +

"Niles, where are my shoes?" He couldn't find them again. What was it that he always forgot where he had put them? He was in a real hurry that morning. A backer was meeting him in Le Gavroche and everything depended on that damn backer. His name: Maxwell Beverly Sheffield, called Maxwell. Maxwell, 21 years old, was a Broadway producer-to-be who normally lived in New York City, but because New York City wasn't ready for Maxwell Sheffield at that time, he went back to London to try his luck in his home country England where he grew up.

"Under the couch..." Niles responded. Niles was Maxwell's butler-to-be. But actually he was Maxwell's best friend and more of a brother than a butler. They grew up together and Niles' father used to be Maxwell's father's butler. When Maxwell decided to go to New York City Niles saw this as a matter of course to go with him, and so he did. He always stood right by Maxwell's side.

"Ohhh... of course. Thank you Niles, what would I do without you?" Maxwell rushed into the living-room and grabbed his shoes from under the couch.

"Well, you would totally miss your appointment, I guess..." Niles said and gave him his coat and briefcase.

"Bloody hell, I really have to hurry. Thank you Niles." He grabbed the things Niles was holding and ran outside to the waiting taxi which would hopefully bring him to Le Gavrouche right in time.

+ + + + + +

Finally it was evening. The two girls sat on Fran's bed in her room eating ice cream while watching the movie and sobbing like little girls...

"Oh, Val,... this movie is so romantic," she took a handkerchief to wipe her tears away, "I just can't stop crying...," and put the ice cream away to give Val a hug. "Sweetie, may I hug you?"

"Oh Frannie..." Val was also in tears "you know, thank god I'm watching it with you...," she paused and Fran looked at her, "because you know, so we're both crying like lil' girls and not only me... you know how sensitive I can be." she smiled while rubbing Fran's back.

"Geesh... I really hope that lil' Jonah boy will meet her up there... she has to come, it would break my heart if they missed each other!" Fran tried to say between crying and sobbing and blowing her nose. And when the movie was finally over, both girls were happy... 'cause that's why it's called "happy end"...

"So, what are we gonna do now?" Val faced Fran and put the ice cream away. Fran looked around in her room and spotted the new notebook their parents had given her for her 18th birthday... Her mother had thought it would be a great opportunity to do the homework online. So they'd also installed internet, in case Fran needed to do some research for her exercises.

"Have you ever chatted, Val?" Fran's eyes began to sparkle. "I found this chat community a couple of days ago when I was searching something for my English assignment... I haven't registered nor even chatted yet but maybe we can try that together, what do you think?" Fran smiled from one ear to the other, she thought it could be real fun!

"’Course, Sweetie,... ya know, I heard a lot of people met their dream partner ova the internet... maybe there's someone sweet out there for ya, too!" Val told Fran and winked at her.

"Yeah, right and my grandma's the cousin of Santa!" Fran answered sarcasticly and thought it was ridiculous. She'd heard a lot about internet-couples who got married and everything, but she never really thought it would work out. And then why the hell should some cute guy sit somewhere out there in front of his computer and wait for her?! The chance was 1 to 1,000,000 or even higher, but it would be fun nevertheless!

"Let's see..." Fran winked at Val and typed in the address of the chat community. First of all they had to think about a nickname for Fran. After thinking, discussing and rethinking they finally agreed on the name ny-princess...

"Ohhhh, how much I love the 21st century... even tha computer is talking to ya!" Fran happily told Val and they began looking for a chat partner on the "search a chat partner" page... they checked the guys' profiles and just the moment Val spotted one, Fran wanted to click away...

"Wait a minute, sweetie... doesn't this one sound great... black hair, green eyes, about 6'0'' come on... let's send him a message!" Both girls sat anxiously in front of the computer staring at the monitor...

"Ok, let's try, here we go..." Fran began to type a message...

+ + + + + +

Maxwell was totally exhausted. The meeting with Jack Masters had been a total disaster. First of all, Maxwell didn't make it in time, he forgot his documents and to top it all, he spilled wine on his trousers. What a day... he thought. Next time he had to be more prepared for everything. He had to go to bed earlier, he had to, he had to, he had to... He didn't want to think about what would happen next. Everything he knew was that his new show was opening in two weeks and that he desperately needed some space to breathe. The work on the musical was hard, but he wanted it to be perfect. Yes, he damnly wanted it to be perfect.

Maxwell took a hot bath right after he came back home. He needed it very much. After nearly spending one hour soaking in the tube he wrapped a towel around his waist and marched into his bedroom. He needed to check his emails before he went to bed so he started up his computer. About five new emails and exactly 25 spam mails he had received since the day before. As he was emptying his bulk folder he spotted an advert for a new chat community in the internet. "Come to www.chat-till-ya-drop.com - well crowded chatrooms, for all sorts of topics, come and join the fun and meet people from all over the world!"

Maxwell had only chatted a few times before, but he could use some fun for a change so he dared to enter the chatroom...

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"Uuuuuhhh, a British guy. That's a pity, it's SO far away..." Fran said while typing the next message...

"I knew he'd ask..." Fran winked at Val and giggled.

Maxwell sat wide awake in front of his computer... suddenly he didn't feel tired at all anymore. There was something about this girl that told him he would experience something completely new... but he couldn't yet tell what it was.

Fran was really into this whole "chatting with strangers from other countries"-thing. She really enjoyed it and didn't even realize that Val had gone to bed hours ago. She was still chatting about anything and nothing with Max from England. He was a real nice guy, although it was a pity he lived in England and not in New York City anymore. Somehow there was a special connection she had with that "stranger" which she couldn't deny... they learned pretty much about each other that first evening in the chatroom and realized that they did really have a lot in common.

And that was only supposed to be the beginning of the beginning...

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"Fraaaaaaaaaan, Fraaaaaaaan!!!!!! Hell, get out of bed already!" Fran's mother was screaming through the whole appartment. Oh shit... Fran looked at her alarm clock, finally realizing she'd overslept, and not just a little bit. She wouldn't make it in time anymore. What now? She threw her sheets away, jumped out of bed and ran through the hallway.

"Maaaa, I've overslept." Fran whined while taking a seat at the kitchen table.

"Oh, REALLY? I didn't notice..." Her mother teased her and punched her on the arm.

"Maaaa, what shall I do now? I won't make it in time anymore anyway, so what?" She grabbed a donut and took a bite.

"Fran, get dressed and ready for the second lesson. I won't allow you to stay at home today just because of that... so move ya touchas, Missy!" Fran frowned, but her mother was right. She couldn't stay at home just because she'd overslept.

"Ok ok, but may I finish my breakfast first?" Her mother just gave her a "Why do you even ask?" look and marched into the living-room.

Fran finished breakfast and cleaned the table afterwards. She then strolled back into her room, started up her computer to check emails and walked over to her closet to decide what to wear.

…the pleasant female voice announced. Fran startled... she turned around and walked back to her notebook, clicking away the window to see who had written her an email.

Fran smiled. He had written her an email. He had actually been the reason why she'd overslept this morning. They'd chatted till early morning because they couldn't get enough of each other. Max. Max from England. Fran knew him more than a week now... She moved the cursor to open the message and began to read:

Fran's smile got even brighter when she'd finished reading. He thought about her. That was so sweet. When they met Friday one week ago in the chatroom, they practically spent the whole weekend online, talking about anything and nothing. Fran thought she knew everything about him already, but there were so many topics they hadn't even talked about yet, so she couldn't wait until tonight.

+ + + + + +

At 2:30pm Maxwell was on his way to the theater. He hadn't had much sleep the night before, but it surely was worth it. Although he'd just wanted to check his emails Friday evening, he dared to enter the new chat community. And he hadn’t been online for five minutes, the first female person had started a conversation with him. He'd never even thought about the possibility that there could be some really nice and loving person out there who just wanted to talk. All he knew was that there were a lot of perverts, offering cybersex to innocent young ladies. But the conversation had turned out very well. Her name was Fran and she was from New York City. They'd practically glued to their computers all weekend, absorbing almost everything the other typed...

There he was. The theater. He looked up at the huge building in front of him. Could he dare to enter? Somehow he knew there'd be waiting loads of trouble for him and he wouldn't get disappointed, because there actually was. C.C., his new secretary, was supposed to handle things while he wasn't available - wasn't available meant weekend, the whole weekend - but she wasn't really into this job yet.

"Dear god, thanks you're finally here, Maxwell. Everything's just turned upside down here. I tried to handle things but they wouldn't listen to me... the leading actor hasn't showed up yet and we were supposed to start rehearsing at 7:00. Also the second vampire who appears in the third scene isn't here..." C.C. didn't stop babbling a whole three minutes.

When she was finally finished, Max took a deep breath and answered in a low voice.

"Listen, C.C.! First of all, I could really use a coffee. Second, where are those bloody contracts when you need them?! And third: get me those damn phone numbers of the people who aren't here yet. I'll give them a call they'll never forget." C.C. rushed into the direction of the espresso maker to get Max a coffee and leafed through the stack of paper she was carrying under her right arm. Max could feel his pulsing vein and decided to take a seat while drinking his espresso...

+ + + + + +

Fran entered her school, Hillcrest Highschool in Flushing, Queens. She wasn't the only one who had overslept that morning. A few girls and boys walked in with her at 9:13am. She walked through the very quiet hallway to her locker. She opened it and took out her books she needed for her English and Geography lessons. Finally the bell rang and she started off to the classroom.

"Fran, there you are. Where've you been?" Val walked in Fran's direction to greet her.

"Hey Val. I overslept." - "Again? In what, one week and a half?" Val laughed.

"Yeah... just laugh, Val! Anyway, it's been pretty late last night." Fran smiled.

"Ohhh... so ya still chatting with the guy I picked out for ya that Friday evening, huh?" Val remarked and winked at Fran.

"Yep. He's sooo sweet, Val. Thanks." Fran gave Val a big hug while schlepping her to the classroom. Mrs. Thomsen was already waiting for the students to come in. "Oh shit, Fran. Have ya done your English assignment for today? I totally forgot." Val whispered while leaning over to Fran.

"Actually, yes, Val. I've finished it last Friday already. I'm so much into writing, I can't help myself and I'm actually a bit proud." Fran announced happily just the moment the bell rang again. Mrs. Thomsen didn't hesitate one minute and immediately started with her classes.

"Morning everybody. I asked you last Wednesday to please finish your assignments for today. And of course I'd like to listen to some of your essays now. So, anybody who wants to read it to the class?" Nobody answered. "Ok, then let's see... Valerie, could you present your work to the class?" Val swallowed hard. Shit, what now? She looked over to where Fran was sitting, Fran glanced back. "Say something, Val."

"Miss Toriello?" Mrs. Thomsen asked again. Val searched for words... "Erm, yeah, sure Mrs. Thomsen." She answered. While Fran was observing Mrs. Thomsen very carefully who was walking round her desk, she passed Val her essay. "Here, read it." Fran whispered. Val was relieved and murmured a "thank you" over to Fran.

Once again Fran had helped Val in a fussy moment. How many times had she done that already? She didn't know. Actually she really didn't want to know. Val was her best friend and how many times had she helped her in such situations? Val was a good friend. A very good friend. She was nice and sweet and caring. She knew exactly how Fran was feeling without even asking. She could be really proud to have such a good friend.

When school was over Fran and Val walked home together.

"Thanks again for helping me out, Fran. I'm so ashamed for getting an A- for your work. I don't deserve it... maybe I should tell Mrs. Thomsen the truth..." Val stared at the ground in front of her.

"Don't be silly, Val. At least now I know that it was good." - "Very good, actually." - "Ok, very good. So don't even think about telling Mrs. Thomsen. Next time you're helping me out again, ok? It's no big deal..." Fran said, although she could have used a good grade in English as well. Oh well, it certainly wouldn't be the last time they had to write an essay. So she hugged Val tightly and went on walking home with her, their arms entwined.

+ + + + + +

"Oh, that's delicious, Maxwell. Thank you for inviting me for dinner." C.C. said and swallowed another gulp of her wine.

"Well, C.C. although everything was turned upside down this afternoon, you really managed everything superb. I'm very glad you're my secretary and you're such a big help. Let's consider this meal as a thank you for helping me turning my show into what I want it to be. To you and a wonderful cooperation." Maxwell raised his glass.

"Cheers." C.C. simply answered. Was he handsome, or what? She couldn't remember seeing someone that good-looking. Those dark hair, those green eyes, that smile. C.C. was overwhelmed. And she hadn't seen a woman beside him. That meant he was single. Not that long anymore...

"Now let's enjoy this wonderful meal, shall we?" C.C. had been lost in thoughts when Maxwell's voice brought her back to reality. "Err, yes." C.C. managed to answer, embarrassed to have been caught in such an intimate situation.

Maxwell watched her very carefully. She was exactly what a secretary looked like in his eyes. She had long flat hair, wore a pair of glasses, had this absolute not acceptable style and seemed to have a thing for her boss. No way was he ever gonna start anything with her, she was his secretary for god's sake and actually, not his type at all. He needed someone who he could have fun with, someone who was spontaneous and full of life and passion. Not some shy mouse. As he was thinking about the kind of woman he was looking for his thoughts drifted to Fran. She was exactly what he wanted, well from what he knew about her until now. She made him laugh out loud so many times the past weekend but she was also very caring when they talked about serious topics. He glanced at his watch for about the 15th time the last ten minutes. It was 6:27pm and Fran would probably eat lunch in the canteen now. Only two more hours he had to be patient until she'd be home. And he would be waiting for her to come online.

+ + + + + +

"I'm hooomeeee..." Fran yelled through the living-room, throwing her keys and schoolbag on the cupboard. Nobody answered. Her mom must have had an appointment again. She walked over to the kitchen where she found a note her mother had left her.

Fran walked over to the phone and dialed the number of the pizza service. When they told her the pizza would be there in about 30 minutes, she hang up, walked into the living-room again to take her bag and then walked into her room. She started up her notebook and carried it over to her bed where she let herself drop onto. She lied on her stomach, watching the scene right before her eyes. She then grabbed the remote control of her stereo and turned on some music while connecting to the internet. She had waited for this particular moment the whole day. Finally she could chat with Max again. They would have so much to tell each other, she was really excited.

Fran closed the chat window and opened her mail program. She had exactly one new email and she knew it must be from him. She opened it and couldn't believe her eyes. There was the cutest guy smiling back to her, with black hair, green eyes and a smile to die for...

Fran must have stared at his picture for about two minutes when she finally snapped back to reality.

Fran did have a few pictures of herself saved on the computer. She picked out the one she liked the most and attached it to the email.

Now the two of them knew what the other one looked like. They continued chatting until the early morning again and realized that not only their looks matched perfect, but also their souls.

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Fran awoke slowly, stretching her left arm to her bedside table to turn off her alarm clock. She smiled, she'd dreamed of him last night. What a wonderful dream that had been. Now that she knew what he looked like it was so much easier to dream and fantasize about him,... and the two of them together. She sat up in her bed, pushing away her sheets. She stretched her arms and legs and rubbed her face.

Thursday.

Again.

School.

In about an hour.

She climbed out of bed and walked over to her closet, pulling out a pair of jeans and her favorite top. She took them, pushed the "start up" button of her notebook and walked out into the hallway, heading for the bathroom to take a shower.

When she had finished her shower, she walked into the kitchen to grab a croissant and headed back to her room. There she opened the folder on her notebook where she had saved Max' picture yesterday. He smiled at her, it just made her smile back at him. She wanted to show Val what a cutie she had picked out for her, so she printed out the picture of Max. She also had to remember to buy a frame for the picture. No way she'd put it on her bedside table, but she'd put it in one of the drawers of it. There nobody would find it. Only her.

"Hey Val." Fran greeted Val happily.

"Hey Frannie, what's up?" Val gave Fran a hug.

"Ohh.... ya know what? I finally know what Max looks like... and I have to thank ya SO MUCH.. he's such a cutie, Val." Fran fumbled around in her bag, searching for the picture to show Val. When she'd found it she passed it on to Val.

"My gosh, Fran. No WAY." Val shouted. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. And that was the guy SHE had picked out for Fran. She did have a really lucky hand that evening. "Oh Fran, I'm so happy for ya... he so good-looking. Not comparable with all the guys ya eva dated."

Fran knew exactly what Val was talking about. She'd had a lot of boyfriends already, but no one had looked like him. He was perfect. Just perfect.

"Vaaal..." Fran was a bit ashamed of telling Val.

"Yeah?" Val answered, still glued to the picture in her hand.

"Ya know what... I think I have a crush on him..." Fran finally admitted.

"Oh Fran... finally you've realized it." Val just said.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Fran asked with a puzzled look on her face.

"Oh pleeeease, ya talking about him aaallll the time. 'Max here, Max there... Max is so nice, Max is so sweet, Max is just the perfect guy.' Frannie, I knew long before you, believe me. It's so obvious." Val smiled. "But don't worry, it doesn't bother me that you're talking about him all the time. I'm fine with it. I'm actually happy for ya. He seems to be a really good guy."

"Oh Val, it's really that obvious, huh? And yeah, he is. I'm thinking about him most of the time... it's just not fair he's living so far away, you know... what if he'll never return to New York? What if he likes it in London? Nobody was interested in his musicals here in New York City, but the Brits love his ideas."

"Fran, don't think about such things... maybe he'll come back to New York. You have to be optimistic." Val tried to cheer Fran up.

"Oh you're right." Fran said. They had reached the school and were heading up the stairs to the entrance. "Let's go in and learn something new." She said full of enthusiasm.

"Oh Fran, please, that's a bit too optimistic..." Val joked and they went into the building.

+ + + + + +

Maxwell was sitting on his bed, his notebook in front of him. He'd done a lot of work today for the big night tomorrow evening. Finally his musical would have premiere. He was nervous like hell, but he knew everything was like it was supposed to be. The last rehearsal had been a total disaster, just like it should be 'cause then the Opening Night would be perfect.

He had received an email from Fran this afternoon that she would be late tonight because she had a bit of homework to do. He glanced at his watch. It was 11pm already, that meant it was 5pm in New York City now. He typed in the address of the chatroom and already logged in. A couple of girls started a conversation with him, but he wasn't really concentrated. All he wanted was Fran to come online to tell her how he was feeling right now.

Just when he had told the last one of the girls goodbye a window appeared on the screen...

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Maxwell was nervously pacing the ground of the backstage. He rubbed his hands, which were wet and sweaty, together. He couldn't get any clear thought. All he knew was that in half an hour, there would be about 1,500 people watching his musical for the first time. It was the Opening Night of his musical "The Vampire's Kiss". On one hand he was excited what the people would say about his show, but on the other hand he was also very nervous.

Unfortunately, she couldn't be here with him tonight. They had chatted last night, she'd tried to cheer him up and also tried to convince him that the audience would like it very much. He was a nervous wreck. And he had been one last night. She had told him that everything would be just fine. That he shouldn't be so unsure of his work and that she'd have loved to come to escort him to his big night, but she couldn't. At least he was sure she was mentally with him tonight.

"Maxwell, come on. The show starts any minute. Take your seat." C.C. said while pulling him with her off the stage. The hall was well crowded. Every seat must have been taken. Maxwell glanced around the room. It was fantastic. His first big musical, ready to be shown to the world. Well, to 1,500 interested people from London for a start. The light was dimmed and the music began. Now there were three hours of waiting patiently lying in front of him. What would the audience say afterwards? Would they applaud? He should find out soon enough...

The audience was giving the cast a standing ovation. The people clapped their hands a whole ten minutes and whistled and screamed their hearts out. Maxwell was so relieved. He hadn't thought they would like his show that much. While exiting the doors to go to the aftershow party, a few older men congratulated Maxwell for such a good play.

Maxwell headed for the bar. He orded himself a drink which he swallowed in one gulp. He couldn't really believe it. They liked it. He orded another drink just when Anthony Davis walked over to him.

"Sheffield, good show. Great cast. I loved it." Davis was saying. Maxwell turned around. Smiling shyly and happy at once.

"Well thank you, Mr....?" - "Davis, Anthony Davis. I'm looking for new stuff for Broadway in good old England." Davis answered, smoking his cigarette.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Davis." Maxwell shoke hands with the stranger.

"Listen, Sheffield. I think your show would be a huge hit in the States. Let's produce it overseas. What do you think? A young talented man like you..." Davis blurted out.

"Well.... wow, I... I don't know what to say... I... I think I'll have to think about it...." Maxwell stammered, not really sure what to say.

"No pressure, Sheffield. Here's my card," he handed him his card. "Call me, my secretary will make an appointment. I'm really interested in your show. Think about it. It would be a shame to stay here in London, when you could earn double in the States." He clapped Maxwell on the shoulder and headed over to another man.

Back to the States? Was he really ready for that? He would have to think about it in a silent moment... without the press and the people who surrounded him at the moment. He looked at the card Mr. Davis had given him not two minutes ago.

Broadway.

New York City.

He kept it in his left hand and walked over to C.C. who was amazingly talking to a couple of backers...

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Maxwell smiled satisfied and took another bite of his roll. His show had been a hit last night. The press, the audience, the backers, everybody had loved it. First thing he did when he came home last night was sending Fran an email... he wanted to thank her for being with him mentally and for keeping her fingers crossed. However, he hadn't mentioned the offer of Anthony Davis in his email. He took the card again and studied it very clearly. Should he call and make an appointment? Or should he not? Should he tell C.C. first and the crew? What they think about it? No... it was his musical and his decision after all. He stood up and walked over to the phone. He took the receiver and dialed the number of Anthony Davis' office. A nice woman answered the phone and told Maxwell to please come Wednesday at 2:30pm the following week. He thanked her and hung up. Phew, that's settled.

"Morning Maxwell, is everything alright?" Niles was asking when he entered the kitchen and sat opposite of him.

"Oh, yes yes, Niles..." Maxwell stammered and put the card away. "Niles?"

"Yes?" Niles answered, a bit curious what might come next.

"Well, you know the girl I told you about, her name is Fran..." Maxwell began slowly and unsure.

"Yes... the one you met via internet. Maxwell, listen to me. You have to search for real girls, not girls who are living god knows where..." Niles responded while pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"Oh come on, Niles. You know exactly I'm not like you... I can't go to a girl I like and ask her out... that's not me... it's so much easier over the internet... you can talk and you don't know what the other person looks like... it's just the character that counts..." Maxwell simply said.

"Please, you want to tell me that looks doesn't matter? Yes, right!" Niles started to laugh out loud. "And you're just saying that because you already know what Fran looks like anyway..." Niles eyed Maxwell suspiciously.

"Yes, I do know what she looks like, but-"

"HA! I knew it... you see... tell me, would you have continued chatting with her if she looked like... hmm, C.C.?" Niles asked curiously.

"I don't know..." Maxwell said, getting uncomfortable with the whole situation.

"I tell you: you wouldn't have! So... dish, what's up? What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Well, Niles, I... I... I think I have a crush on her..." he admitted shortly.

"No way... Maxwell's in love with a cyberlady... I can't believe it..." Niles burst out into laughter.

"Come on, Niles. She does exist... and please, I'm telling you something very personal and you're laughing... if I had a pillow I would throw it..." Maxwell joked.

"Alright alright... does she know? Have you told her already?" Niles asked seriously.

"No Niles, not yet. I think... well, I think there may be a good opportunity to tell her in person in the near future." Maxwell said, seeing how wide-eyed Niles stared at him. "What?" Maxwell asked.

"You're not telling me you're visiting her, are you?" Niles asked a bit taken by surprise.

"No... if I meet her, it'll be because someone's interested in my show..." Maxwell started to tell Niles about the offer.

"What do you mean, interested in your show? What are you talking about?" Niles hated Maxwell for not telling him exactly what was up from the beginning.

"Yesterday, after the show... Anthony Davis came to me and said he's interested in my show... that he wants to do it on Broadway..." Maxwell was interrupted by Niles.

"Really? We're probably going back to New York City?" Niles shouted.

"Yes, maybe... I have an appointment next week at his office... after that we'll see... so what I actually wanted to say was, then I'll certainly have to go to the States for maybe a week, you know to talk to the guys there and so on. That'll be my chance to meet her for the first time..." Maxwell said, drifting with his thoughts to Fran and what they would do when they were finally together.

"I see... Congratulations, Maxwell." Niles stood up and walked around the table to give Maxwell a hug.

"Thank you, Niles. So you're ok with that... I mean, maybe going to New York again?"

"Maxwell, of course I am. With all the girls in New York City... hello? I would be really stupid not to be ok with that..." Niles winked at Maxwell and walked out into the hallway.

Good, that's settled then... Maxwell thought and was relieved he'd finally had the courage to tell someone how he felt about Fran.

+ + + + + +

It was Saturday morning and Fran felt wonderful sleeping late that day. She awoke at 10:45am and marched comfortably into the bathroom to get ready for the day that was waiting for her. Yesterday had been a big day for Maxwell and for her. She'd had her Spanish exam which went very well and Maxwell had been at the Opening Night of his new play. She was dying to know how it went, so she headed directly back into her bedroom without having breakfast first.

And he had kept his word, he had sent her an email. She opened it with all the expectation she was having...

Fran jumped up and down her bed, she was so happy for him. He really did it: the people loved his show! She couldn't wait to talk to him in the evening... he must be so proud of himself, so happy, so relieved.

+ + + + + +

Fran just came home from a shopping trip with Val... it was 6:13pm and she had been really late today! She just hoped Max wasn't insulted...

Max had been sitting on the couch, watching a re-run of a Sylvester Stallone movie together with Niles. Niles wasn't really the action movie-type of guy and had therefore been fast asleep already, when Maxwell saw a window appearing on the screen of his laptop...

Just when Maxwell was about to tell Fran how he felt about her his internet connection broke down... "Bloody hell, NO!!" He shouted and happened to wake Niles up.

"Hell, Maxwell, could you behave yourself? Some people are sleeping in this building and especially in THIS ROOM..." Niles angrily shouted back and stood up walking into his room.

"Sorry, Niles... I didn't mean to wake you up..." Max silently excused his outburst while trying to reconnect to the internet...

+ + + + + +

No answer... that was so not like him.. he always said good night... maybe his battery was empty... or the connection broke down...

Fran didn't know... she decided to write Max an email, that she went offline after he hadn't responded anymore and that she would really look forward to tomorrow night when they would be chatting again. She then shut down her computer, placed it on her desk and went into the living-room to give Val a call.

Oh Val, come on... get the freakin' phone! Fran thought...

- "Marty Toriello"

- "Oh, hi Marty, it's Fran... is Val home?"

- "Hi Fran, sure... where else should she be? VAAAALLLL... it's Fran for ya!"

- "Here she is, bye Fran." / "Hey Fran, what's up?"

- "Hi Val, sorry for calling ya that late... but I had to tell ya..."

- "What? What?"

- "Oh Val, ya won't believe it... Max'll maybe come back to New York City!!!!!!!"

- "What? Why? How do you know?"

- "Oh, he told me not ten minutes ago... I'm so excited! Then we'll finally meet each other in person..."

- "Fran, I'm so happy for you. But do you mind if I ask, why will he come back? Not just because of you, right?"

- "Val, of course not just because of me... he got an offer from a guy last night at the premiere of his musical. It seems the guy wants to produce it on Broadway! And that's all Max wants, you know... being a big macher producer on Broadway."

- "Ohhhh that's so cool. I'm really happy for him... so he finally made it, huh? All the average plays in London were worth the money... it seems he finally produced a hit."

- "You bet, Val. They gave the cast a standing ovation..."

- "Really? Oh my... that made him proud, eh?"

- "It sure does. And he deserves to show a little bit pride... oh I'm still so happy."

- "I can tell..."

- "Well, Sweetie... I just had to tell someone... we'll continue tomorrow! Luv' ya, have a good night!"

- "Night Fran, love you, too!"

Fran hung up and placed the receiver at its normal place again. So she had told Val, now she was feeling much better.

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Wednesday was finally there. Maxwell was again very nervous, although he'd just had a talk with someone who was interested in his play. He had been up since 6:30am that morning because he couldn't sleep anymore. He had done a lot of things which had been on his list for a very long time. Finally he had the time to do them, and he did. He vacuumed his bedroom, changed the sheets, cleaned the kitchen and went into the supermarket.

"Look who went to the supermarket for the first time!" Niles joked when he opened the door for Max.

"Very funny, Niles. By the way, I could really use a hand with the bags over here... would you mind?" Max was teasing him and handed him one of the bags.

"So, when's the big moment?" Niles asked.

"At 2:30pm Niles... that means I have two hours from now on to get ready..." Maxwell answered while he placed the keys and the bag he was carrying on the kitchen table.

"Alright, you know what... you get ready and all fixed up and I'll see what I can do for lunch..." Niles suggested, studying the contents of the bags.

"Thanks Niles, I'm in the shower then..." Max said and headed for the bathroom.

"Mhhmmm.. that smells delicious, Niles. Ya certainly have overdone yourself again." Maxwell followed the smell of Niles' food and took a seat at the kitchen table.

"Five more minutes to go... I made a vegetarian lasagna... lots of vitamines and proteins, just what you need to be relaxed talking to that Davis guy..." Niles smiled and handed Max two plates to set the table. "Here, do something useful while you're waiting patiently... by the way, good choice of clothes." Max took the plates and thanked Niles.

When they were finished with their lunch, Max stood up and placed the dishes in the sink.

"That was delicious, Niles. Very, very good." Maxwell remarked when he swallowed the last gulp of his drink and placed the glas also in the sink.

"Thanks, now get ready for your appointment. You don't want to mess that one up, too. Just remember the last time you had an appointment..." Niles wanted to start with the old story again, but Max interrupted him.

"Alright, alright, Niles... I'm already doing what you're saying. Thanks again, Mom, the food was delicate." Max joked and started to run when he saw Niles grabbing a plate which he wanted to throw after him.

"Just HURRY!!!" Niles shouted and began washing the dishes.

William Shakespeare Street 151 she had said. Maxwell stood in front of a huge building and barely dared to enter. Come on, that's your chance. His mind was telling him and so he slowly walked through the main door to get inside. Phew, here I am. He walked to the reception to get the information on which floor he had to go and entered an elevator afterwards.

He slowly walked out of the elevator and saw a desk where a secretary was sitting. He nervously rubbed his hands together and coughed a little bit to get the secretary's attention.

"Hello there." The very nice looking lady behind the desk greeted him. "What can I do for you?"

"Hello, my name is Maxwell Sheffield and I have an appointment at 2:30 with Mr. Davis..." Maxwell said.

"Let me see... oh yes, Mr. Sheffield. Mr. Davis is already waiting for you. If you would please follow me." The lady answered, stood up from her chair and walked around the desk to show Maxwell to Mr. Davis' office. Maxwell followed her inconspicuously through the long hallway. At the end was a huge wooden door, that certainly was Mr. Davis' office.

The lady knocked on the door and immediately opened it. "Hello Mr. Davis. Mr. Sheffield is here for you, Sir." The lady said and opened the door a bit more for Maxwell to enter.

"Well thank you, Becky. That would be all for now." Mr. Davis answered and the young lady closed the door behind her. Maxwell shyly walked towards Mr. Davis and stretched out his right hand to shake hands with him. "Hello Mr. Sheffield, nice to see you again."

"Hello Mr. Davis, it's nice you had time for me so soon." Maxwell said and took a seat at the other side of Davis' desk.

"Please Maxwell, I know what I saw Friday evening and I know you've got potential. So I really want to know if you had time to think about my offer?" Anthony Davis asked while getting comfortable in his big desk chair.

Maxwell leaned back in his chair, too and played a bit unsure with his hands which he placed on his lap. "Well I thought about it, yes. But could you tell me first what your offer contains. If you only want to buy the rights for my show to get it on Broadway or if you think that I should go to New York to produce plays..." Max moved his hands in front of his face.

"I completely understand you, Maxwell. So I will tell you what I want." He leaned forward again and placed both his arms on the desk. "You see, it wasn't the first show I saw which you produced. I also saw those little plays, the ones you did in the beginning. And I have to say, I always knew you'd make it one day. And that day was Friday. It's something new, something fresh you're producing. Not just the old classics which everybody works up but it's like you're beginning a complete new generation of musical theater. "THE VAMPIRE'S KISS" was a fabulous play. It was something nobody had done before. Nobody had ever dared to work on a play with topics like vampires. Although everybody knows they do not really exist, people are fascinated by the fact that there might be a chance that there are vampires anywhere though. People loved your show here in London, and they will love your show in the USA." Mr. Davis was grinning from one ear to the other.

Maxwell smiled back at the man. He was so proud of himself and the imagination of producing shows on Broadway made him even more happy. That's all he ever wanted. To do a show on Broadway. That was the big chance he always wanted to get. "So what will you guarantee? I mean, what if the people don't like my show... what'll be in the contract?" Maxwell wanted to know.

Davis searched for a staple of paper on his desk and was relieved when he finally found it. "Here you are." He gave him the contract. "You'll have the chance to work on shows for Broadway for 5 years if you'll sign this. And because I think that's the musical theater of tomorrow I'll support you with the needed money and help you to get a name in the business. I really want you to try it on Broadway. It would be a shame to waste your talent here in England if you could make a lot of money producing the same in the USA. And if you continute having such ideas I guarantee you you'll be a very rich and lucky man soon."

Maxwell looked up from the contract and into Davis' eyes. He seemed to be a very nice, understanding and honest man. Maxwell knew he could trust him, he knew Davis did not only want to support him but earn money through his ideas, too. But that was normal. All he knew was that finally somebody had the courage to trust him and to support him in what he was doing. So much not like his own father. "Do you have a pen?" Maxwell asked.

"Right desicion, Sheffield." He said and handed him a pen to sign the contract. He then gave Mr. Davis both things back and shook hands with the man again. "To a good cooperation." Davis said and Maxwell just nodded his head.

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

So tomorrow was the day. The day he'd finally meet Fran for the first time. Four weeks had passed since Maxwell had signed the contract to do his first big musical show on Broadway. Anthony Davis had become a good partner. He managed the stay in New York City but wasn't going to accompany Maxwell. Somehow Maxwell was happy about it, but on the other hand he didn't know if he could do everything on his own there already. Well, he just would have to learn, wouldn't he?

Maxwell was very nervous when he only thought about having Fran in his arms for the first time. They had become very close over the past weeks, as close as you can with so much water between two people.

"Niles!" Maxwell shouted when he noticed that his favorite sweatshirt was missing.

"Yes, what's it agan?" Niles shouted back and started heading for Max' room. When he entered the bedroom he didn't believe his eyes. Everything Maxwell got was distributed in his room. It looked like a bomb had exploded. "My god, Maxwell, what the hell are you doing in here?" Niles said, trying to work himself through the mountains of clothes.

"Well, what does it look like, hmm? I'm PACKING!" Maxwell said. "And where's my favorite sweater? I can't find it..." He threw clothes through his room, trying to find that damn sweatshirt.

"You mean THAT?" Niles said and showed Max the one he was looking for.

"Oh, get out of my room. I searched for that bloody sweatshirt for ten minutes and now you're walking in here and immediately find it." Maxwell was not pleased at all, but thankful Niles had found his sweater.

"Let me help you, ok? I can't stand this scene... it's like you're packing for the first time in your whole life..." Niles said while beginning to give Max a hand. Max just grumbled, but together the two men were finished in half an hour.

"Thanks Niles, I don't know what I'd do without you. I'm sorry for being so sassy to you at first, but you know what?" He said. "Let's order in. What do you want? Is pizza alright?" Maxwell walked out into the hallway to get the phone.

"Fine with me, I want a large one with extra cheese and pepperoni." Niles said and walked up to him. "You're paying, aren't you?" He grinned at Maxwell.

"Yes, of course. It's always me, you know..." Max dialed the number of the pizza service.

"Oh please, I'm not the one who'll inherit tons of money." Niles shoot back.

"Alright alright... you won." Max shoot back, knowing very well he'd lost the battle alright.

+ + + + + +

Fran was the happiest person on the planet. She finally had her diploma and was on vacation now, hopefully starting college in autumn. But the best thing was the fact that Max was visiting her for one week. A whole week. She thought. What they would do, she wondered. There were so many things one could do in this city. But it didn't matter what they were doing, she just wanted to spend time with him to find out if he was the same person in real life as he was in the cyberworld or maybe even more lovable in person. She had that smile on her face since a couple of days and was dying to know him in person already.

It was only 2:00pm when she entered the chatroom. She knew he wouldn't be long that day and didn't want to disturb him in anything. It was their last chat before their meeting. After their meeting everything would be different. Either they would be closer than ever before or they wouldn't talk to each other anymore at all. So she braced up all her courage and nervously send him a message...

They continued their conversation and ended it very late for Maxwell, but it didn't bother him...

So... that was it. Their last chat before the big day of finally meeting the other one in person. Both Fran and Max slept very good that night, secretly dreaming about being together…

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