by
Maragal
(maragal@dotplanet.com)
"Maxwell, you can trust me... You know you can!"
"CC, it's not that I don't trust you, it's just that... I don't trust your taste..."
"What?! I can choose any play that has potential to succeed!"
"CC, I am sorry, but you can't! And that's that!"
CC mumbled an insult, and left out of Maxwell's office.
"Hey, CC! What's wrong?"
"Bite me! Nanny Fine, have you ever taught that life isn't all fun and games? I have to work so hard, and... Nothing..."
"Work hard? With who? Oh, by the way, Ms. Babcock, someone called from your apartment, and said that a tall, young male was seen leaving the apartment. But don't worry, you can buy another cardboard figure."
"Niles, for Goodness' sake, you're married, and have a baby on the way! Now stop acting like a couple of... Niles and CCies!"
Fran passed Niles and CC, thinking she was so glad she and Maxwell don't have the same sick and twisted relationship!
"Hi, honey! Guess wha-at?" Said Fran in a singsong voice, while sitting on his desk.
"What is it, Da'lin'?"
"Sammy wrote another song, and he is now eligible for recording an album."
"That's great!"
Fran sighed, and stroked Maxwell's hair.
"What is it, Fran?"
"Honey, I'm just worried that... you know, you won't get a play in time for the deadline."
Outside, CC was listening, and decided to call their neighbor.
"Hello, Roger?"
"Yes?"
"It's CC."
"Who?"
"CC Babcock, Maxwell Sheffield's associate."
"Oh, the blonde with the dog boyfriend. Oh, CaCa, I could not imagine how I missed you... what is it, anyway?"
"Well, Roger, your niece, Hillary said she had written play, and I wanted to read it, since..."
"Say no more. I'll give it to you tomorrow!"
"Thankyou! Bye-bye. Ta-Ta!"
"Yes, bye, CaCa!"
CC sighed at the thought of her husband. She loved him so, yet... he was such a dweeb! How could she love such a man? Love is strange, after all, Maxwell fell in love with Fran, and... well... FRAN, no one else, a girl from Flushing, Queens, with a Brooklyn accent, and WAY to much makeup, and the class of a 3-year-old. She smiled to herself.
The next day, she put Hillary Clinton's play on stage. It was about a French man who fell in love with his maid, a girl with low class, who is supported by the driver, and despised by the secretary. Boy, did that remind her of something... Just what... She put her plan in action, and the play was on!
Friday morning, eight tickets appeared on Maxwell's desk, to a play called "The Maid" a production of Maxwell Sheffield. Max froze.
"Miss Fine!"
"Yes, Mr. Sheffield?" Said Fran in a Gracie-like tone.
"Fran, look at this!"
"Honey, you got it! A play! Oh, honey, I am so proud! Why didn't you tell me?"
"Fran, now don't play dumb!"
Niles imagined what he could say in return, from outside the door, but decided not to. Even so, he had a feeling he knew who the producer was.
"CC!"
OOPS, and Niles was sure that he knew it now!
"Maxwell?"
"CC, what do you have to do with this?" Maxwell was raging. Fran stepped back.
"Surprise?" CC was starting to back out of the room. Niles' hand stopped her in the doorway.
"What is the meaning of this?"
"I wanted to surprise you, Max! It's a smash hit! There is NO chance of failure. I promise you!"
"Can we at least go watch it, honey?"
"Fran, I do not want to go to my own funeral! I just… can’t!" Maxwell looked at Fran, who had a sorry little face. He HATED when she would do that! "Oh, allright! We can go! But I hate this, you know…"
About 10 hours later, seven angry people came home, among them were Grace, Brighton, Maggie, Fran, Maxwell, Niles, and Michael. CC was the one whose face became one with her red dress. Maxwell was bellowing angry words at CC.
"You invested 5 thousand dollars in that play! Now EVERYONE thinks I am a bloody looser! How could you, CC? How could you?"
"Maxwell, I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Forgive me!"
"I am terribly sorry as well, CC, but I’m afraid that I cannot forgive this, just like that! CC, you are fired. I’m sorry, but starting tomorrow, I will have your old replacement work for me full time. Good night!"
Maxwell dashed off upstairs, leaving poor CC in tears. Her head down, and eyes overflowing with tears, she moved slowly towards Niles & her bedroom.
"See you all. Niles, I’ll go lie down. Meet me later."
Niles gave her back a short rub, and a soft push towards their room.
"Oh, Mrs. Sheffield, look what happened!"
"Niles, we HAVE to do something! I cannot let this happen. She lives in our house, she might as well work for it. I’ll think of something. Don’t worry, Niles. Goodnight."
Niles and Fran both moved towards their rooms, and Fran began to think about a plan to get CC back her job.
"Honey, don’t you think that you were a bit harsh on CC? I’ll tell you the same thing I told Niles: ‘She lives in the same house with us, so she might as well pay for it.’ She’s not the brightest woman on the planet, but she’ll do…"
"Fran, you know that I was against her choosing a play from the beginning. I men, who wants to hear the story of a maid and her boss living in a secret love -from each other!- and then getting Married, and having children. I laugh! That’s not a realistic story, like I asked! Those things NEVER happen!"
"But, Max-we-e-ell!"
"Stop whining, already!"
"Ma-a-a-ax! Why-y?"
"That’s it! I’m sleeping on the couch tonight! And if I hear another word of this tomorrow, I’ll take serious measures!"
Fran gulped, and decided to take more ‘demure’ measures.
"Oh, Niles, what will I do?"
"Don’t worry, you’ll get my child sick! Fran and I will think of SOMETHING! You know her!"
"Yeah, I do. And that’s what scares me!"
While Niles and CC were having that discussion, the couch seemed to get crumpled under Maxwell’s tossing and turning. Fran, who was sitting on the first step of the staircase, saw all that.
"This’ll be SO easy!"
She tiptoed to the couch, and tried a trick that has only failed once, but she decided not to let it fail this time.
"Maxwell, are you asleep?"
"Uh-huh. Sure."
"Will you let CC come back."
"Yeah, sure."
"Yes!" Fran whispered to herself.
"Yeah, sure… WHEN PIGS FLY! Fran Sheffield, you tried that before, with Maggie, well, it won’t work THIS time! Now, what do you have to say for yourself?"
"It’s not tomorrow yet?"
Maxwell sighed rolled over, and fell asleep again in the blink of an eye. He started talking in his sleep, and Fran listened closely.
"No… CC, forgive me! You may have the job…No, don’t leave! Don’t take my Niles! You may work again! No… NILES! CC, come back! CC! MY NILES! Fran, get Niles! Niles! I want my tea. Niles, where are you? No… CC, Niles, come back!"
Fran felt A BIT sorry, and realized this might happen. If CC left, her husband would tag right along. Maxwell as still yelling for Niles, and CC.
"Max, wake up! You’re having a bad dream."
"Fran, we need to get CC back. Niles! He’s gonna go with CC! What will I do?"
"Hire her back?"
"Well, I wanted to, but my pride… What about my pride?"
"Oy, what will I do with you?"
"Oh, all right! I’ll hire her back! If it wasn’t for that bloody dream!"
The next day, Maxwell hired CC back. Boy, were they happy. (Maxwell for his butler, and CC for her job.)
"Well, Niles, it looks like we didn’t have to move a muscle to get CC’ s job back."
"Well, we did have to move the couch a bit."
Fran gave a nasal laugh, and smiled to herself, thinking "Well, it’s a good thing I hid my heel under the couch cushions after I broke it."
The End
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