Disclaimer: The usual suspects -- all characters are the property of Fran Drescher, Peter Marc Jacobson, High School Sweethearts, Sternin and Fraser, and Columbia TriStar Television. It's no longer necessary to give CBS (boo, hiss) a nod, is it?
by
Denise
scholars_parrot@lycos.com
C.C. stood outside the Sheffield residence and hailed a cab. She only had a moment before the driver would pull to the curb and require a destination, and she still wasn’t sure where she wanted to go. She could head back to the sterile sanctuary of her penthouse, but that option seemed so uninviting. Maybe she’d grab a drink or two before returning home. The bar at the St. Regis had always been her favorite spot when going solo for cocktails, so she decided to have the cabbie take her there. Normally she wouldn’t head to midtown from work without stopping by her place, but today was a complete aberration.
As she exited the cab and entered the hotel lobby, C.C. thought of nothing but the numbing alcohol that awaited. The day’s events were an absolute blur -- and soon to be an Absolut blur, if she carried out her intention. From the moment she walked out the townhouse door, her mind was reeling. She knew she’d done the right thing in resigning, but she wasn’t yet able to comprehend the quick turn of events that led to her exit from Sheffield-Babcock Productions.
She walked into the bar and found a seat. The bartender noticed her entrance and prepared the usual vodka stinger. It was the drink the cool, elegant blonde always ordered from him, and he knew the sooner she was served the better. Perhaps his promptness was one of the reasons this place was a secret refuge for her. No one, not Maxwell or Nanny Fine or even Niles -- and certainly none of her family -- knew of her affinity for this site.
She wrapped her fingers around the drink and tried to grasp how things had so quickly gone awry. Was it really just this morning she’d sauntered into the office in a mood of wicked glee, knowing she had the upper hand on Niles? Last night he’d proposed again, and she had the foresight to secretly capture the moment on her tape recorder. Oh, could life get any better? How she could torment and tease him. The servant would be at her mercy, and as much of Manhattan knew, C.C. Babcock was rarely merciful.
Nanny Fine’s heartfelt pleas meant nothing to her. Niles was in for sheer hell, and C.C. was going to relish every minute of it. It was only when Maxwell angrily insisted she “fix” the situation that she reluctantly agreed to call off the attack. In the midst of her not-so-very-sincere apology she was unable to resist one more twist of the knife, and it was then the evening began to spin out of her control. After promising Niles she wouldn’t mention his proposal to another soul, she pressed her recorder’s play button and threw his words in his face once again.
But damn him, somehow Niles managed to grab the advantage. Despite being humiliated beyond bearing, he had the presence of mind to set before her a truth so hard and undeniable she was left stunned in its wake. While standing on Maxwell’s stairway -- the stairway of the house she had always hoped would one day be hers -- Niles cut loose with his fierce enunciation.
He made her see it all so plainly. The years spent chasing the dream of a life with Maxwell Sheffield were wasted ones. The time to move on had come and gone, and still she continued to pursue her boarding school notion of the perfect life -- even though that notion was now completely beyond the realm of reason.
Niles’ words stung her so badly that she remembered them verbatim, “Look around you. They’re married; they’re starting a family. Where are you going to be ten, twenty years from now? You’re going to be saying Merry Christmas to your friends in rehab and wondering what might have been.”
He couldn’t have shocked her more if he had thrown cold water in her face. Nor could he have opened her eyes any wider. It wasn’t just the content of his words, it was the resonating tone. Delivered with a crisp, biting passion, they cut to her very soul.
Finally, after years of blithely ignoring reality, she fully recognized her age-old dream for the utter rubbish it had always been. Yes, it was time to move on. It was time to find a new life, one with real possibilities and promise. If Niles was moving on, by God, so would she.
Having concluded her review of the shattering experience, she paid for her drink, rose from the bar and headed home. It seems a fresh start also meant no longer getting soused in public.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
C.C. unlocked the penthouse door and set her handbag on a table in the entry hall. The vodka she kept on chill in her freezer beckoned, and she headed to the kitchen. As the click of her heels echoed against the cold marble floor, disjointed snippets of the day’s events began playing through her mind. For some reason it was then she realized she’d left her recorder at the Sheffield’s. One minute it had been in her hand, and the next it seemed to have simply vanished. Where had she last seen it? Her mood of confusion and annoyance reached critical mass as she tried to recall. The foyer… she had left the damn thing on a table in the foyer. Oh, what did it matter? Leave it there, she thought. She’d pick it up in the morning when she dropped off her resignation.
But something about the wait was unsettling. It bothered her to leave the recorder behind overnight. Would Niles think she deliberately left it to further grieve him? Well, what did she care what he thought?
Slowly, incredulously, she realized she did care; she cared far more than she had ever been willing to admit.
C.C. had discussed Niles at length with her therapist. It had never been her intention, but Dr. Bort would always take the opportunity to probe Niles and C.C.’s relationship whenever the butler’s name came up. Bort had even accused her of shamelessly throwing herself at Maxwell to avoid any attraction she felt toward the “domestic”. When the good doctor first mentioned this theory, a caustic thought crossed C.C.’s mind; it was as she’d always suspected -- most psychiatrists were screwier than their patients.
Now, though, she had to admit Bort might have been onto something. She needed to talk about what she’d just been through. Normally, if she couldn’t wait for her next scheduled visit to the therapist, she’d seek out Niles. Not so much to rehash every detail of the things which grated her nerves, but to be in the company of someone she felt at ease with. That was the unholy, awful truth; she did find some comfort, however twisted, in his presence. And what’s more, she knew from time to time she served the same purpose for him.
C.C. and Niles had been avowed enemies for so long neither initially noticed the evolving nature of their relationship. It happened slowly, like the rising of a river, and both were caught in the current before they knew what surrounded them. Niles, being the more sensitive of the two, recognized the change first and that had been his misfortune. C.C. saw to it that he paid dearly, but now she was having second thoughts about her blatant cruelties.
She thought back to the times they had acknowledged enjoying one another’s company. When Niles served as her last minute date to the Broadway Guild Awards, each had been surprised to find what a charming partner the other could be. At Maxwell and Nanny Fine’s wedding reception, Niles had been unexpectedly attentive, and they had a very pleasant time dancing -- although both drank somewhat more than they should have. In fact, she was never quite clear on what happened after the reception, but she knew for certain she awoke the following morning in Niles’ bed, and despite some show of being horrified, she really wasn’t all that bothered by the possibility of having made love with him.
The most unforgettable recollection of their relationship was one neither had ever dared acknowledge. It was another liquor-tinged moment, still she had a precise memory of its every detail. Maxwell and C.C. had planned to work one Saturday evening, but instead Max took off with Nanny Fine, and C.C. and Niles were left alone in the house. As their bickering intensified, one thing led to another and soon they found themselves in the midst of an alcohol-inspired, incredibly passionate kiss. Had they not been interrupted by Max and Fran’s return who knew what might have happened?
As the memories raced through her head, C.C. came to a startling conclusion. What concerned her most about leaving her position with Sheffield-Babcock Productions was not the separation from Maxwell, but the thought she would never again see Niles.
“Good lord,” she thought out loud, “I’m really rich, he scrubs toilets for a living, and I’m actually going to miss the man.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
During the cab ride back to Maxwell’s townhouse, C.C. tried to formulate a strategy. As much as the idea stuck in her craw, she knew she owed Niles an apology. The best way to move on would be to seek an absolution of sorts. She’d retrieve the recorder, give Niles the tape as a peace offering, and be merrily -- or perhaps not so merrily -- on her way. Then she could begin her new life with a reasonably clean slate. She’d probably never see him after tonight, but at least the hurt and anger she’d put in his eyes wouldn’t be her last memory of Niles.
When she arrived at the Sheffield residence, the house was quiet. It was relatively early, but given the circumstances of the day, it was entirely understandable if everyone had retired. C.C. walked to the table where she had left her recorder, but it was no longer there. Someone had removed it, possibly Max or Fran, but most likely Niles. What should her next move be? C.C. closed her eyes for a moment, drew a long slow breath, and resolved to approach Niles’ room.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Niles bristled when he heard the knock at his door. No matter how sincerely the Sheffields were to plead, he had determined to remain firm in his decision to resign; but he knew it would be difficult to face them, and, as a consequence, he dreaded any request to remain in their service.
When he opened the door, Niles was astonished to find it was not the Sheffields standing opposite him; there instead stood C.C.
He remembered the first time he opened a door and beheld her face. Despite his British reserve he had nearly gasped at her beauty and thought how much her cool blonde demeanor reminded him of Grace Kelly. If she possessed a warm heart here before him was the perfect woman. When he had inquired as to the purpose of her visit, C.C. haughtily announced she was there to interview for a position with Mr. Sheffield, and once she won the job Niles quickly came to realize beneath her cool exterior lurked a stone cold heart.
Niles shook off that memory and brought himself back to the present. “What the hell do you want?,” he snarled in C.C.’s direction, then turned his back to her and walked across the room toward his bed. “Oh, let me guess.” Picking up an object resting on his nightstand, he pivoted to face her once more. “You’ve come for this. . . one more round of driving a dagger into the domestic’s gut, eh, Miss Babcock? Well, I’m afraid it’s a little too late for that.”
C.C. saw that he held her recorder in his left hand. She also noticed the cassette had been removed, and it looked as though he had done his best to destroy it. A fair portion of mangled tape had been pulled from the crushed cassette housing that lay upon his nightstand. Beside it was an open bottle of scotch and an empty glass.
“No. I-I-I really don’t know why I’m here,” she quietly stammered as she stepped inside the door. What else could she say? Her purpose of offering him the tape had been voided, and he obviously wasn’t in the mood to receive any apology she had to offer.
Niles looked at her a long time and finally responded, “Maybe you’ve come to gloat. After all, Miss Babcock, you no doubt imagine yourself the victor in our little reenactment of the Hundred Years' War.”
“I don’t feel like I’ve won anything.”
“Why not? You got rid of the butler, perhaps you’ll eventually manage to eliminate the wife.”
“You don’t know, do you? I’ve resigned, too, Niles.”
“Oh.” Niles was genuinely surprised and momentarily unaware of what to say. His hurt immediately got the better of him, though, and he threw a barbed comment her way. “How convenient, Fleet Week is coming up, you’ll be free to work the piers.”
“You’d be more likely to please a bunch of sailors returning from months and months at sea.”
“I think you just insulted yourself, Miss Babcock.”
Of course, he was right. It was a lame dig, and though she should have been annoyed with herself for its ineffectiveness, she became angry with him instead. “Oh zip-lock it, Hazel. I came here to apologize and you behave like a. . . ”
“What,” Niles curtly interrupted in his most sarcastic tone, “you apologize? Now, we are being funny.”
Her fists clenched, C.C. nearly boiled over in anger. She was ready to let him have it when the words he delivered to her on the Sheffields’ stairway came back with a chill, and the tempest they both had anticipated was not forthcoming. She simply waved her arms as if to surrender, shook her head and weakly said, “Niles, I’m tired. I can’t do this anymore.”
He stepped closer to her, looked in her eyes, and waited.
His gaze made her uneasy; she looked down, tilted her head in his direction and continued to speak “I’m truly sorry for any pain I’ve caused you in the last few days. You have to know that.” He caught a glimpse of the swallowing motion in her throat as she pressed on. “I wasn’t completely honest when I dismissed your proposals. I’m aware there’s some sort of attraction between us, I’ve just always been too scared to pursue it. By my family’s standards any relationship we might have would be considered entirely off-limits.”
The acknowledgement was obviously difficult for C.C., and Niles was touched by the honesty of her effort. After a long pause she continued, “Do you remember when we kissed each other the night Maxwell took Nanny Fine to meet her pen pal?”
He decided to let his guard down one more time. “Truth be told, I consider that moment one of the highlights of my life.”
C.C. glanced up just long enough to give him a look that seemed to say thank you. “I never wanted to admit it, but I always knew if Max and Nanny Fine had returned thirty seconds later they would have caught us rolling on the floor.”
“We’re in disagreement on that conclusion.” C.C. was a little taken aback until he leaned in tantalizingly close to further explain. “I doubt I could have waited the time it would take to reach the floor. After all, the couch was half the distance.”
She laughed awkwardly, for his nearness was beginning to unnerve her.
“The reason I’m telling you this now is because there’s something that frightens me more than whatever feelings we have for one another.” She summoned the courage to look directly at him, propelled herself through her lingering doubts, and said the words that troubled her so. “I don’t want to spend the rest of my life wondering what might have been.”
Niles took her hands in his, and when he spoke his voice was soft and tender. “You don’t have to.” He drew her hands to his mouth and gently kissed them. “I love you so very much, Miss Babcock.” C.C. was too moved to speak; she began to cry and closed her eyes to suppress the tears. Lowering her hands to either side, Niles leaned forward to kiss her eyelids, then moved his way across her cheek and jaw. His lips began to gently caress her neck, and she moaned softly. When he released her hands she immediately wrapped her arms around him and stroked his hair with her fingers. He grasped her waist and pulled her closer.
Their lips met. Each initially approached the kiss with a measure of caution, but they quickly found themselves in the midst of a furious exploration. The electrifying sensations Niles and C.C. felt confirmed the kiss they had shared so long ago was everything both remembered and more. Thankfully, tonight there would be no interruptions, and no trepidation or confusion as to how the other felt.
When their mouths finally parted, C.C. collapsed against his chest, buried her head in his neck and half-gasped, half-whispered, “I’ve never been in love before.”
She sent his heart soaring with that confession. His blood raced as he responded, “You don’t know how much I need you.”
C.C. could literally feel the physical manifestation of his need, and she lifted her head to look coyly in his eyes. “Oh, I believe you’re giving me quite an indication,” she teased in her low, sultry voice.
A bedeviling smile crossed Niles’ face, and he swept her off her feet and into his arms. He gave the door a slight kick to push it closed and carried her to his bed.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Afterward, an exhausted Niles and C.C. lay flat on their backs, and each wore a stunned expression as they practically gasped for air. Catching her breath, C.C. reached over to Niles and put her hand on his shoulder. “I expected this to be good, but I had no idea! I know I’ve never experienced anything quite like it.”
He was flattered by her assessment. “Coming from someone with your extensive track record, that’s high praise indeed.”
She accepted the barb for the endearment it was meant to be. “Niles, what idiots we were -- do you realize we could have been doing this all along?”
He turned over on his left side and wrapped an arm around her. “Maybe if we’d tried years ago it wouldn’t have worked; things might not have fallen into place. It’s all in the timing, you know.”
“I noticed,” she purred lustfully and bit his neck.
“Mister, you are so baaaad.”
“And here I finally thought I’d proven to you I’m not a man.”
Niles nodded and laughed. “And how, Miss Babcock, and how.” He positioned himself on top of her. “How about we begin making up for lost time right now?”
Her arms embraced him, and she sent tingles down his spine as she stroked his back. C.C. was fully aware he was capable of a repeat performance and giggled as she asked, “You want to introduce me to your friend?”
Niles cocked one eyebrow to indicate he was more than willing to play along. “Well, I believe you’re somewhat acquainted, but perhaps a formal introduction is in order. I must warn you though, my pal is going to demand a lot of your time and attention.”
His skill began working its magic. Niles heard the pleasure in her voice as she surrendered to his efforts, “Ooohh, hello, hellooooo!”
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
They were entwined in another afterglow when Niles broached a subject that was clearly of some concern to him. “We’ll take more care after tonight.”
C.C. wasn’t aware of what he meant and responded with a light comment. “Why? I don’t think we could manage to do it any better.”
He grinned. “No, I mean I’ll be mindful of certain precautions,” he paused awkwardly, “unless you’re already using some form of birth control.”
A quiet fell over C.C. Niles noticed the look of uncertainty on her face and began rambling. “Not that I’d be anything but delighted if you were to become pregnant, I just rather assumed. . . ”
C.C. interrupted by placing a finger on his lips, and she strained to tell him why the conversation made her so uneasy. “Niles, there’s something you should know. It might make a difference. It isn’t likely I can ever have children.”
“Why do you say that?”
“A couple of years ago my doctor discovered a problem. It doesn’t endanger my health, but it would be nearly impossible for me to conceive.”
“Have you been to other doctors?”
“Yes, and they’ve all basically said the same thing.”
“You surprise me.” He brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face. “I hear regret in your voice. I just assumed you never wanted children.”
“I didn’t. I never could understand why anyone would want to complicate their lives with kids, and, truthfully, I’m still not certain. I mean my family doesn’t exactly have a good history when it comes to raising children,” she paused. “But when you’re told you probably can’t have a child, you begin to have second thoughts.”
“Longing for something you know isn’t likely to happen?”
She laughed sarcastically, “The story of my life, up until tonight.”
“You said you ‘probably’ can’t have a child. It sounds as though the doctors aren’t one hundred percent certain. Maybe your problem hasn’t been properly diagnosed.”
“Even if that were the case, there’s no denying my biological clock is winding down.”
“Oh, come now, you’re not so very old. Despite all I’ve said in the past, I know for a fact you’re younger than Mrs. Sheffield and she’s having twins.”
“I’m just going by what the doctors have told me. You do realize with me in your life, you’re not likely to ever be a father?”
“I’m not likely to be a father without you in my life, either. Do you think after all these years of waiting I would let such a thing stand between us? Don’t be silly, woman. Besides, doctors don’t know everything.”
C.C. could easily handle their physical intimacy, but she was suddenly uncomfortable with revealing the hidden-away portion of her psyche. “Niles, we’re getting ahead of ourselves. I don’t know what the future holds. I only know right now I’m happy and I want to be with you. But I really can’t think beyond tonight or tomorrow or the next few days, because I’ve never had any luck sustaining relationships.”
“Don’t you think the reason for that is you’ve never been with the right man?”
“And that man happened to be under my nose all along?”
“When you think about it, we’ve already been together longer than most marriages last. Why, we maintained a relationship for years even though we thought we despised one another.”
C.C. raised up and brushed her nose against his, “Oh, I sincerely hated you. I loathed you very much.”
He laughed. “Ditto, Miss Babcock.”
She lowered herself and rested her head on his chest.
“Niles, let's not analyze what’s happened or make plans, that sort of thing makes me uneasy. Maybe it shouldn’t but it just does.”
“All I’m saying is I’ll be here for you, come what may. I love you and that isn’t going to change. If we never have a child, I’ll still love you, and if the incredible happens and we do have a baby, I will love and cherish the both of you.”
“And I love you.” His unconditional devotion was a relief to her. “I think I must have for a long time without ever realizing it.” Though his loving acceptance had eased much of her uncertainty, there was a wistfulness in her next declaration. “But the truth is I would be completely shocked if I were to become pregnant. That kind of news would just make me faint.”
Niles held her closer than she thought possible and showered soft kisses upon her face and neck. “Let’s not dwell on it, then; we’ll leave it all to chance.” And he gently teased, “Of course, I am willing to do my part to give you reason to faint.”
Her spirits were lifted by his consoling touch. “You’ve practically done that already.” After a pause, she chuckled in a sultry whisper, “several times already, if you must know.”
He laughed, and his lips travelled down her neck and shoulders and paused to linger at her breasts. She reacted with a deep moan and was completely absorbed by the touch of his lips and the caress of his hands. Her only motive was to return to him all the pleasure he was bestowing, and she responded in kind to his every movement.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Overtaken by sheer exhaustion, they drowsily rested in one another’s arms. Niles kissed her forehead and C.C. sighed at the tenderness of the gesture.
“Niles?”
“Yes, love?”
“About something you said earlier. . . ”
“Yes?”
“I’m younger than Nanny Fine?”
He spoke with the softest of voices in issuing his gentle threat. “Yes, but if you tell ever tell her I said so, I’ll throttle the living daylights out of you.”
“Promises, promises,” she whispered and turned to drift off to sleep.
Niles couldn’t help but grin as he wrapped an arm around her, and he too promptly fell asleep.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Whenever she had gone to bed with a man in the past, C.C. ordinarily awoke hazy and uncertain of her surroundings and her partner. This time was different. She knew precisely where she was and who she was with. Every moment, every second of what she and Niles had shared was clear and indelible. C.C. realized for all her sexual experience, she had never known true intimacy; and although she'd certainly had a good time with a number of her lovers, none ever brought to her the complete and total bliss she felt with Niles.
She smiled as she savored the joy of being with him. She had never really felt loved before, and that had been a source of anguish throughout her life. Tonight, her pain had been eased by the astounding man who slept so peacefully beside her, his arm protectively around her. Niles had poured out his heart, body and soul to her with a love so complete that he was able to soothe her hurt as a balm soothes a wound. What an unbelievably giving lover he was. How could he be so gentle and devouring at the same time? And his stamina! The man had had a heart attack, for crying out loud. He must have followed the doctor’s orders to the letter during his recovery.
Tonight also settled what had been something of a mystery -- there was no way she and Niles made love after Max and Fran’s wedding. Now that she knew what the experience was like, it simply wasn’t conceivable that she would have failed to recall being with him. A distillery’s worth of alcohol could not have obliterated the memory.
As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, C.C. took in the forthright elegance of his room. It was so like him -- nothing fussy or excessive. The quiet, dignified simplicity stood in stark contrast to the rest of the house, which was charmingly and expensively decorated but a little overdone to her mind. Every item in Niles’ room was well-placed, and his superb taste was manifested in the exquisite collection of photographs and prints that hung on the walls.
After surveying the room C.C.’s gaze returned to the slumbering Niles. She carefully and quietly shifted her body to face him. So much about tonight astonished her, not the least was the sheer muscularity of his physique. His shoulders were broad and powerful, and his arms well-sculpted. His stomach might not have been washboard tight like the glamour-boy actors and models she was forever interviewing, but it was still quite impressive for a man his age.
His face she knew so well -- the strong brow, the chiseled cheekbones, the angular mouth, and the unforgettable blue eyes. For years she had thought of it as the face of an adversary. Every feature mocked her, every expression jeered her. But tonight the face had revealed the true man, it was a face in turn brimming with pain, hope, understanding, tenderness, joy and love.
He had looked at her so passionately and so intensely that it frightened and thrilled her at the same time. His eyes were deeply probing and penetrating and capable of delving into her very soul. They mesmerized and enthralled her.
C.C. rested beside Niles and contemplated the amazing turn her life had taken. In mid-thought something struck her as funny. Despite a desire to let him enjoy his rest -- lord knows he had earned it -- she laughed out loud when it occurred to her Niles’ eyes weren’t the only part of his anatomy that could be described as deeply probing and penetrating. Oh yes, he was well proportioned in every way. And to think she had never noticed. Add that to the list of surprises the man had to offer.
Her laugh stirred him. She felt him place a hand upon her breast as he drowsily asked, “Why the devious outburst, are you plotting tortures for me?”
“You wish.”
“Indeed, I do.” He gave a gentle squeeze and raised his head to gaze lovingly at her. Niles flicked on his bedside lamp to see better. His stare deepened and he began to look quite stunned as he marvelled at her face. C.C. couldn’t know what it was that caught his attention, she had no idea her countenance had taken on a new dimension. There had been a softening that transformed her looks. Always a classic beauty, she now radiated an internal loveliness that shone through her eyes, and he was enamored to behold her.
“What?” She had to know what that stare was all about.
“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
“And you’re the most wonderful, handsome man. . . and the most fantastic lover.”
“Thank you, but don’t underestimate yourself, I couldn’t manage this alone, you know.”
“That’s not what I hear.”
“Oh, you are so wicked.”
She gave him a deep kiss, to which he eagerly responded. C.C. pulled away a little sooner than he would have liked, but he understood why when she asked her next question.
“Niles, what are we going to do about resigning?”
“Well, I can tell you this, there’s no way I’m quitting now.”
“Do we need to give them any reason as to why we’re staying?”
“No, let’s just show up as we always do and see what happens. Mr. Sheffield would simply stammer and stutter if we told him. He can be so easily embarrassed.”
“And I’m not ready to face ‘Fran Landers’ and her meddling, no matter how well-intentioned. We definitely need to think long and hard before we let anyone know about the change in our relationship.” C.C. burst into laughter.
“What’s so funny?”
“That phrase, ‘long and hard’, I just realized I’m going to associate it with you from now on.”
“Oh, get your mind out of the gutter. We’ve got decisions to make.” Niles smirked happily even as he chastised her.
“Well, I can’t help it if you’re so shtup-pendous. . . oy, Nanny Fine has exposed me to way too much Yiddish.”
Oh, you nattering shiksa. Am I going to have to put my hand over your mouth?”
“Speaking of which, you don’t think anyone heard us, do you? I suppose we were kind of loud.”
“Mrs. Sheffield is a sound sleeper, it isn’t likely anything would disturb her. As for Mr. Sheffield, well, if he did happen to overhear us I can’t imagine him putting two and two together. I swear sometimes the man is as dense as a London fog.”
“Isn’t he though!” C.C. concurred. “My guess is if he heard you moaning he’d probably just think you have the flu or something.”
“And if he heard the two of us moaning, he’d think you caught the flu from me.” They looked at each other and chuckled in unison.
“So we’re agreed on keeping this concealed for awhile?”
“Agreed.”
“Niles?”
“Hmmm?”
“You’re not still sleepy, are you?” C.C. straddled him and reached to turn off the lamp.
“No,” he grunted, “and my pal is wide awake, too.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Wiped out by their latest round of “making up for lost time,” the two lovers quickly fell asleep. As before, C.C. nodded off first, followed immediately by a most exhausted and most elated Niles. He smiled slightly and relaxed his body against hers, his right arm gathered around her and his left resting on the edge of her pillow.
Neither could possibly know their secret would soon be discovered. Had they realized, they might well have understood how completely and totally shocked Fran and Max would be at the sight of the two of them in bed.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
When they woke they quietly held one another until C.C. broke the silence. “Niles, did you have anything to eat tonight?”
He raised an eyebrow and gave her a wicked look. “Surely you haven’t forgotten.”
She issued a bawdy laugh, gave his chest a gentle smack and elaborated. “Food, Niles, I meant food.”
“I take it you’re hungry.”
“Well, since I just burned about a week's worth of calories here in your bed, I’d have to say yes.”
“What would you like?” He gently nibbled her ear while awaiting an answer.
“Why don’t you decide?” She giggled. “You seem to know what satisfies me.”
After one more kiss, Niles forced himself out of bed. Now that they were together, he was reluctant to leave her even for an instant, yet he was so smitten he would gladly do anything to please her. It was simply the nature of his character and the nature of his vocation to fulfill the desire of others.
C.C. watched admiringly as he slipped into his pajama bottoms and robe. While tying his belt, he made a suggestion concerning what they might snack on. “Seems to me a dessert suits the occasion -- there’s chocolate cake downstairs. . . ”
She interrupted, “Wasn’t Sylvia here earlier?”
“Oh, right. Well, I know she couldn’t plow through all the Ben & Jerry's. How about an ice cream sundae?”
“Ummm, okay… only could you make it a banana split?"
“Banana split it is.”
"You know, I’m going to enjoy having my very own waiter on call -- or should I say bellboy.”
“Brunette -- and I do mean brunette -- you’ve never had room service like this.”
“Good thing, don't you think? My fortune wouldn’t cover what this kind of room service is worth.” C.C. laughed seductively, and Niles understood her words were not spoken to remind him of the disparity in their wealth and social standing, but were meant to pay him an appreciative compliment.
He found his slippers and prepared to make his way to the kitchen. As he neared the door, C.C. called out, “Niles.”
“Yes, love?”
“One more thing about that banana split. . . ”
“What’s that?”
“. . . hold the ice cream.”
He had never heard a voice go so low as hers did with the last portion of her request. When her implication registered, Niles tilted his head forward a degree and gave her a leer. The lights of Times Square had nothing on the brightness of his smile.
She sat up in bed after he closed the door. Her knees were pulled close to her torso and, though he had just left, C.C. was grinning from ear to ear in anticipation of his return. The muffled sound of his movement was drifting in from the hallway, along with a tune she couldn’t quite discern. He was definitely singing, and rather exuberantly, too -- oh, yes, he clearly sounded pleased!
Knowing she had made Niles as happy as he made her brought an enormous amount of contentment and an unexpected tide of gratitude to C.C. At that moment she was surprised to hear herself say, “thank you, God.”
If she only knew what additional blessings were in store.
The End
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