These characters don’t belong to me. I just borrowed them for a while.

It Was Always You

Part One

by

Jan

Fran and Val stood at the bus stop trying to balance all their shopping bags while getting ready to elbow their way to the front as soon as the bus pulled up. It was going to be a neat trick as loaded down as they were, but they had done it every time Loehmann’s had their semi-annual clearance sale, and they were good at it.

Val poked her head out and peered down the street. No sign of the bus yet. "Fran, can you believe all the bargains we found today?" she asked.

"I know!" Fran replied, her eyes still aglow from the adrenalin rush of their shopping adventure. "Did you see that yellow top I got half off?"

"Well, you shoulda only had to pay half for it. It’s only half a top. Where are you gonna wear such a tiny little thing?"

"Where do you think, Val? Sitting on the corner of a certain millionaire’s desk."

"Fran, don’t you think that’s a little desperate? He hasn’t even asked you out on a real date yet."

"I know, Val. You don’t have to remind me," Fran said, rolling her eyes. "I been working there five years now, and not one real date yet. But if this yellow top doesn’t do the trick, I don’t know what I’m gonna do. I’m so sick of his cat and mouse games."

Just then, they both heard a scream and turned to look in the direction of it. Someone yelled, "Stop that thief!" and the two of them stood in shock as a purse snatcher ran right by them. Fran couldn’t believe the nerve of that guy. He was so close, she could have reached out and grabbed him if she’d been thinking fast enough.

"Fran, should we help that poor lady?" Val asked in horror.

"Quick, Val. Memorize what you saw. We can give the police a description. He wasn’t two feet from us." Fran immediately began making a mental list of everything she could remember about the thief—hair color, height, the color of his clothes. And she had gotten a good look at his face, maybe even good enough to do one of those police sketches. Just then, she saw the bus pulling up. "Val, I’m gonna stay and talk to the police. I know I can help them."

"Ok, Fran. I’ll stay too." They wiggled their way out of the small group of people pushing up to the bus. Fran ran over to the lady whose purse had been stolen and asked if she was all right. The lady assured her that she was. Someone standing nearby had already dialed 911, so Fran talked with the woman to calm her down while they waited for the patrol car to show up.

It was only a few minutes before two patrol officers arrived and started taking the lady’s statement. One of them looked up and announced, "Anyone who can give us a description, please step this way." Fran walked right up to the officer, gave him her name, and told him everything she could remember. The officer was quite impressed with her attention to detail. "Anything else you can remember?" he asked her.

"No, I think that’s about it," she told him.

"If you don’t mind giving me your address, miss, one of our detectives may want to come by and ask you a few more questions. Sometimes witnesses remember things later, and I’m sure the detective squad will want to follow up," the officer said.

Fran gave the officer her address, and after he thanked her, she and Val went to stand back under the awning to wait for the next bus. "Whew!" Fran said. "Was this an exciting day or what?"

When they got home and related the whole story to the Sheffield family, Fran suddenly found herself shaking. She had been very brave and in control while talking to the police, but now that the whole thing was over, she allowed her emotions to come out. Max was immediately concerned. Putting his arm comfortingly around her shoulders, he said, "Miss Fine, do you need me to get you anything? You still seem so distraught."

"That’s ok, Mr. Sheffield. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I mean, I wasn’t in any real danger. The guy just happened to run right in front of me."

"Well, still," he said, patting her shoulder, "it had to be very traumatic for you. What you need to do now is try to take your mind off of it. Is there anything you’d like to do this evening?"

Fran’s eyes lit up. This poor victim thing might be just the trick to get him to ask her out. "Well, I wouldn’t mind seeing a movie, I guess. You know, get a large tub of popcorn, some Goobers and some Raisenettes, and one of those giant diet Pepsis."

"I think that sounds like a marvelous idea," he said, smiling at her. "I’m sure Margaret or Brighton would love to go to the movies tonight. Tell you what—I’ll treat." With that, he pulled some cash out of his wallet and handed it to her. Then he turned and walked back into his office where he had a stack of work waiting for him.

Fran just stood there astounded. What was it with this guy, anyway? She threw her hands up in the air and started gathering her shopping bags to take them upstairs. Just then, Niles came into the living room. "Niles, you are not gonna believe this," she said.

Niles glanced in the direction of his boss’ office. "I heard," he stated. "I don’t think there’s a bigger fool anywhere. May I help you with those bags?"

"Thanks, Niles, although I don’t know why I need any of this new stuff now. It’s not like he’s gonna notice them or anything." Breathing a giant sigh, she handed several of the bags to Niles and started up the stairs mumbling to herself, "Well, if he thinks I’m gonna wait around another five years for him, he’s got another thing coming."

The next morning, Fran flopped down on the living room couch and picked up the remote. She had just seen the kids off to school and didn’t need to be anywhere until noon when she was meeting Grandma Yetta for lunch. As she began flipping channels mindlessly, she kept thinking about the state of her love life. Five years waiting for Mr. Sheffield to make a move, and still nothing. Last night at the movies with Maggie and Brighton had been fun, but there were a couple of scary parts, and she would have much preferred snuggling up to a handsome Brit for comfort. And this morning at breakfast, she had worn her cutest and sexiest outfit from yesterday’s trip to Loehmann’s, and he had barely even looked at her.

Just then, the doorbell rang. "I’ll get it," she yelled as she hopped up from the couch and scurried toward the front door. As she opened it, her face lit up. There stood her favorite New York detective. "Jeff! Don’t tell me you’re the detective they sent to follow up."

The cutest grin broke out on his handsome face. Trying to maintain his professionalism, he stepped into the foyer and introduced his partner to Fran. "Uh, I’ve got just a couple of questions about the purse snatching you witnessed yesterday. Do you have a few minutes?"

Fran reached out for Jeff’s arm and turned around heading into the living room and pulling him with her. When she stopped and turned around with that seductive look in her eyes, Jeff suddenly realized that he had tied his necktie too tight that morning. He stuck his finger in his shirt collar and gave it a little tug. "I got time," Fran said in a lowered voice. "Take all the time you need." Jeff’s partner just stood there agape.

"Uh, I was wondering if you saw how far the perp ran up the street before he turned any corners or darted off into any buildings," Jeff asked her.

"Sure, two blocks, and then he ran into the laudromat. I’m sure I told the officer yesterday," Fran told him, still holding on to his arm.

"Yeah, but I just needed to double check." Jeff took his notepad and pen out of his pocket but never wrote anything down. All the time, their eyes were locked onto each other’s.

"I don’t suppose you saw what kind of shoes he was wearing," he croaked out.

"They were Adidas high-tops," she assured him.

Jeff dropped his hands to his sides and leaned in just the smallest bit. Looking directly into her sparkling brown eyes, he said, "Fran, you are absolutely amazing."

She honored him with one of her million-dollar smiles and said, "Thanks. Anything else you need to know?"

Jeff scribbled something in his notebook and then snapped it shut and put his pen back in his shirt pocket. "No, I guess that’s about it."

Fran said, "You didn’t need to come all the way over here just to ask me those two questions."

"I know, but I wanted to make sure you were all right. That must have been very scary to witness that. I mean, it wasn’t that long ago that you had to go through the trauma of the dognapping, and now this. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Fran’s voice became very throaty. "I don’t know. What did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking maybe dinner tonight?"

"That sounds wonderful," she said smiling and leaning into him.

Just then, Jeff’s partner cleared his throat pointedly, and Jeff suddenly regained his professional demeanor. "Well, thank you for your time, Fran. We’ll let you know if we catch the guy. Do you think you could pick him out of a line-up?"

"Oh, I’m sure."

"Great." Then lowering his voice, he said, "I’ll see you at seven o’clock tonight."

As soon as Jeff and his partner left, Fran ran over and picked up the phone. She dialed Val’s number quickly. "Oh, Val, you’re never gonna believe who just left here. Remember Jeff, that really cute detective I went out with a couple of times? Yeah, the one that investigated Chester’s dognapping." Just then, Max came walking into the living room from his office. "Well, they sent him over to follow up on that purse-snatching yesterday, and guess what? He asked me out to dinner!"

Max stopped dead in his tracks and turned around to come back and stand behind her as she sat on the couch rattling on to Val about her date. His narrowed eyes displayed a slight panic as she went on and on about how cute Jeff was and how much fun they’d had on their previous dates.

"I gotta go, Val. I gotta go look through all the things I bought yesterday and pick out something really sexy to wear tonight." Max’s eyebrows shot up. "Bye, Val," said Fran, hanging up the phone.

"Going out tonight, Miss Fine?" Max shot out at her.

Fran practically jumped out of her skin. "Mr. Sheffield!" she said, whipping her head around to see him standing over her. "What are you doing sneaking up on me and listening in on my phone conversation like that?"

"May I remind you that this is my house and I can sneak up and listen wherever I please!" he retorted.

She stood up and turned to face him eye to eye. "Well, you don’t have to sneak up. I’ll tell you straight out. Yes, I am going out on a date tonight. A real dinner date with a very handsome and successful guy. Not that it’s any of your business!" she said placing her hands on her hips.

"It bloody well is my business. I might need you for the children tonight. You are the nanny, after all," Max argued.

"Oh, that is such a crock," Fran retorted, marching around him and heading for the stairs. "Maggie’s got a date tonight and Brighton and Gracie both have plans with friends. Face it, Mr. Sheffield, you just don’t want me going out tonight because you’re jealous and you’re worried I might go off and find somebody else."

"Me jealous? Don’t be ridiculous," he stated indignantly to her back. "Fine. Go ahead. Have a wonderful time on your date this evening." As Fran went running up the stairs to search her closet, Max turned around and stomped back into his office, completely forgetting why he had come into the living room in the first place.

He sat down behind his desk and blew out an exasperated breath. He hated it when she was right. He was jealous and he was terrified that she would keep dating all these men until she found someone else and was out of his life forever. He should just get up and go up to her room right now and tell her not to go out with that detective because he was in love with her. But would that be enough? What if she wanted more from him? What if she expected some kind of commitment from him—a vow that they would be together for the rest of their lives? That was the thing that kept him glued to his chair. He just wasn’t ready for that. He needed more time to consider all the possible consequences that kind of commitment would bring with it.

He just prayed that this thing with Jeff wasn’t very serious. After all, she had gone out with him before, and it hadn’t amounted to anything. Surely it would turn out to be another quick fling and then she would be over it and back where he needed her to be—sitting around waiting for him to make a move. Max took a deep breath and felt himself calming down. He just needed to keep thinking rationally about all of this and stop letting his emotions get in the way. That was what he was best at, after all.

Dinner that evening was a barely tolerable event. The kids were all anxious to head out to their evening plans, and Max spent most of the time glancing over at Fran’s empty chair. He pushed the food around on his plate, ate a few bites of it, and then headed back to his office.

Promptly at seven o’clock, Max heard the doorbell ring. He knew who it was and there was no way he was going to go out there and try to be pleasant to Miss Fine’s date. Refocusing his attention on the contract in front of him, he read the first sentence three times without comprehending it and threw his pen down. He got up out of his chair and left his office, walking into the living room just in time to see Jeff gaping up the stairs with his mouth hanging open. Max turned to look, and his breath left his body.

Fran had the sweetest little smile on her face as she descended the stairs in the tightest, shortest dress he’d ever seen her in. It was a dark, shimmery blue with spaghetti straps, and her hair fell in soft curls around her shoulders. She never glanced his way as she took the last step and reached out to take Jeff’s hands. Max watched Jeff recover himself just enough to kiss her cheek and say, "My God, Fran, you look absolutely breathtaking."

"Thanks," she said coyly. "You look pretty good yourself."

Max felt an immediate stab of jealousy. How many times had he exchanged those exact words with her? She reached into the closet for her wrap and handed it to Jeff. He placed it gently around her shoulders and turned to open the door. Almost as an afterthought, Fran looked over at Max standing speechless by the foyer table. "Goodnight, Mr. Sheffield," she tossed his way, and then they were out the door.

Max took a deep breath. Logic and reason, he reminded himself. He turned and headed back into his office determined that, until they got through this thing, he was going to be logical and reasonable as hell.

******************

Fran and Jeff walked into the restaurant. She looked around and recognized it as the same little Italian café where they’d had their Valentine’s Day lunch a few years earlier. After they were seated, Jeff said, "Now, Fran, the last time we were here, you seemed to be in a big hurry. I just want to make sure you’re not going to run out on me tonight."

Fran noticed that he had the cutest little twinkle in his blue eyes, and it really captivated her. Leaning toward him, she said, "Don’t worry. You have my undivided attention for the whole evening."

"Good," he said. "How about some wine?" He called the waiter over and ordered a bottle of Merlot while they took their time perusing their menus. No sketti this time, Fran thought. She was going to just forget about Maxwell Sheffield and enjoy a nice, relaxing dinner with Jeff. After all, he was so cute and so attentive. Who knew what the evening might bring?

After they placed their orders with the waiter, Fran said, "So, any luck finding the purse snatcher yet?"

"Not really," Jeff admitted. "Those cases are pretty tough to solve unless he starts using the credit cards he stole. I’m just glad no one was hurt. Especially you. Are you sure you’re all right?"

"Yeah, I’m fine now. How could I not be with such a brave, strong detective on the case?" Fran said as she reached over and took a hold of his hand.

Jeff smiled sheepishly while his heart sped up just a bit. Suddenly, he had an uncontrollable urge to hold her close. "W-Would you like to dance?" he stammered.

"Sure," she said, standing up. He led her to the dance floor and wrapped his arm snugly around her waist. He felt a little light-headed, but he wasn’t sure if it was the wine or the intoxicating fragrance of Fran’s perfume. She pressed her temple to his cheek as they began moving to the rhythm of the small string orchestra.

As they danced, Fran was surprised at the feelings being stirred in her. Jeff’s arms felt so strong and sure around her, and she felt so comfortable in them, like this was right where she was supposed to be. And it was obvious that he was completely taken with her. "Such a nice change," she thought, "from what I’m used to with Mr. Sheffield." Then she chastised herself for letting thoughts of her boss creep in and interrupt the wonderful time she was having with Jeff. This guy was truly a sweetheart, and he deserved every chance to make her feel special.

Their dinner was soon served, and they enjoyed a pleasant and light-hearted banter while they ate. Jeff told Fran a few humorous stories about a couple of perps who were so stupid they deserved to get caught, and Fran related to him some funny things that had been going on with the kids. As the evening wore on, Fran was coming to realize just how much she enjoyed Jeff’s company, and she could tell that he was so wrapped up in her and everything she said that she began to wish their evening wouldn’t have to end.

After dinner, Jeff suggested a little dancing at a nearby club, and Fran said, "Umm, does that mean I get to feel your arms around me some more?" to which Jeff’s face broke out in an eager grin. When they got to the club, they found a small table in the back corner, and as soon as they’d ordered their drinks, Jeff had her by the hand pulling her toward the dance floor. He was going to take advantage of every opportunity to put his arms around her and hold her against him. And Fran was literally basking in all the affectionate attention he was draping her in.

After several more hours of dancing and intimate conversation, they realized how late it was getting and decided they had to call it an evening. When Jeff pulled up in front of the Sheffield mansion, he walked her to the front door and said, "Fran, I had the best time tonight. Can I see you again Friday?"

Fran immediately said, "Sure." She couldn’t believe what a wonderful time she’d had with him, and she was absolutely certain she wanted to see him again. He was so sweet, and she loved the way he catered to her every whim. Unlike someone else she knew, who was probably still working in his office not even giving her a thought. Jeff leaned in and gave her the sweetest kiss, and then another, and Fran realized suddenly how much she enjoyed kissing him. They stood there for the longest time, kissing and holding each other, neither one wanting to bring the night to a close.

Meanwhile, Maxwell was lying in bed staring up at the ceiling. He had heard Jeff’s car pull up out front and immediately checked the time. He kept glancing at the clock—five minutes, now almost ten. He said out loud, "How much bloody time does it take to say goodnight?" He thought about getting up, going down there, throwing the front door open and chastising her for putting on such a display for the neighbors. Just as he was about to yank the covers off, he heard the front door open and thought to himself, "Well, it’s about bloody time!"

As Fran climbed the stairs to her room, she breathed in a deep, dreamy sigh. Maxwell listened intently to her light footsteps passing by his door. She got ready for bed quickly and slipped beneath the covers. Settling back onto her pillow, she thought about how wonderful Jeff was and all that he had to offer her. Little did she know that just a few steps down the hall, Max had the same thing on his mind, and it was the part about what Jeff had to offer her that worried him most.

*****************

The breakfast table chatter Friday morning was a bit stilted. Max had been so busy with his new play that he and Fran had barely seen each other since her date with Jeff, and when they had run into each other, their exchanges consisted of nothing more than mere pleasantries or questions about the children.

Fran felt herself smiling as she thought about her date coming up that night with Jeff. He had called her every day since the last time they’d been together, and it was clear that something was definitely happening between them. And the way she knew that for sure was that she found herself thinking about him more than she had been thinking about Mr. Sheffield. In fact, she was so happy with the way things were going, she really didn’t feel much like eating. She pushed her plate away and took a sip of her coffee.

Max couldn’t help but notice her good mood. And he knew exactly what it meant when she didn’t feel like stuffing herself. He just sat there with his thoughts all in a jumble, and it irritated him to no end that Fran appeared to be totally unconcerned with what was—or more accurately, was not—going on between them. He was dying to know if she was going out again with that detective, but judging from the smile on her face it was pretty clear that she was.

He took a deep breath and cleared his throat. He decided to broach the subject. "Well, Miss Fine. Any plans for the weekend?"

She looked at him with an eyebrow cocked. "Not that it’s any of your business, Mr. Sheffield, but, yes, I do have plans for this evening. And as for the rest of the weekend, well, I’m not sure, but I’d say there’s a good chance something will pop up."

Max tried to act casual as he fought the quick stab of jealousy in his stomach. "This evening, huh? Well, you should have checked with me, Miss Fine. I’m sure I’ll need you this evening for the children since I’ll be busy at the theater."

The three kids looked up from their plates. "Don’t worry about me, " Maggie said. "I’ve got a date with Peter."

Brighton took a sip of his milk and offered, "Yeah, no problem here. I’m going to the movies with Tommy and Brent."

Then Gracie spoke up innocently, "Daddy, I told you I was spending the night over at Amy’s."

Fran just looked at him. "See there? Everyone’s got plans for tonight, so there’s no reason for you to worry."

"No reason to worry?" thought Max. He had every reason to worry. Just then, the doorbell rang and Niles went to answer it as a bit of a heavy silence hung over the breakfast table.

Niles came back into the dining room and announced, "Miss Fine, your detective is here to see you. He has some progress to report on the purse snatcher."

"Ooh! Jeff’s here?" She popped up from her chair and ran around Max acting positively giddy. Max just stared after her with his eyebrows drawn together.

Fran ran into the living room and threw her arms around Jeff’s neck. He gave her a good morning kiss that made her heart flutter, and then looked into her eyes as he brushed his thumb across her cheek. "And how are you this morning?" he said.

"I’m just fine, but I’ll be even better tonight," she said coyly.

"Mmm, me too," he told her, his eyes smiling. Then he cleared his throat and remembered why he was there. "Uh, Fran, we’re holding a suspect in the purse snatching, and I was wondering if you could come down to the station and make an identification."

"Does this mean I get to ride with you in your police car?" she asked excitedly.

Jeff leaned in and said, "That’s what I’m here for."

Fran gave him a quick kiss and said, "Just give me a few minutes. I’ll be right down." With that, she darted up the stairs to finish getting ready while Jeff made himself comfortable on the couch.

Max had finally given up on breakfast and excused the children. He decided he needed to get his mind off of what had been bothering him, and the best way to do that, he knew, was to bury himself in his work. He headed into his office, making sure to avoid the living room. He knew if he got one look at that detective fawning over Miss Fine, he wouldn’t be able to focus on anything else.

He sat down at his desk and pulled out the budget folder for his new play. After staring at the papers for a few minutes, he set them down and pulled off his glasses. Surely Miss Fine couldn’t be getting serious with that detective. Surely she was just doing all this to make him jealous. Well, he thought, it was working, but not well enough to make him rush into anything. If he could just think of a way to buy himself a little more time. There was just so much to consider before he was ready to make any kind of a commitment. But he knew this thing between her and Jeff was picking up speed, and if he let it go on much longer, it could spell disaster for him.

Just then, the phone rang and interrupted his thoughts. It was his family’s lawyer in London explaining several problems that had occurred with his family’s estate. After talking with the attorney for a few minutes, it became clear that the only way to take care of things was for Max to go to London and get matters settled. He hung up the phone and pushed the intercom button. "Niles, could you step into my office for a moment, please?" he said.

While he was waiting for Niles, a sudden thought occurred to him. This could be just the thing he needed. With him in London, Miss Fine would have to stay home to take care of the children. That would certainly put her dates with that detective on hold for a while. And it would give Max the time he needed to sort things out in his head. In fact, it could very well mean that by the time he got home, Miss Fine’s relationship with Jeff would have died of natural causes. Instantly, Max’s mood perked up. This was just the solution he was hoping for. Time was what he needed, and now he had it. Niles came into his office. Max said, "Yes, old boy. It seems I’ll be needed in London for a few days, so please make flight and hotel reservations, and start packing my bags. I’ll leave first thing tomorrow morning. I’ll probably be there about a week—some family business I have to attend to."

"Yes, sir," said Niles, turning to leave and get started on his boss’ requests.

"Oh, and one more thing," said Max. "Please tell Miss Fine I need to see her as soon as she comes in." He let a satisfied smile cross his lips.

Niles looked at him strangely, but simply stated, "Of course, sir," as he left the office.

Yes, Max thought, this is going to work out perfectly. C.C. could handle things with the upcoming production, the London trip would give him time to figure things out, and Miss Fine would be right where he wanted her—at home taking care of his children waiting for him. Yes, that was exactly where he wanted her, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

Max was so satisfied with his new plan that he hardly noticed that several hours had gone by when he heard a light rapping at his office door. "Knock, knock, Mr. Sheffield," Fran said walking on up to his desk. She stood on the other side of it, not even thinking about marching around and hopping up on the corner. "Niles said you wanted to see me?"

"Yes, Miss Fine, how did things go at the police station?" he asked.

"Just fine," she said. "I picked out the purse snatcher right away. He’s not going anywhere for a while."

"Well, that’s good. What I wanted to tell you is that I’ll be leaving tomorrow morning for a week or so. Some matters of family business in London that need my immediate attention."

"Ok," said Fran, wondering why he seemed to be so chipper about his announcement.

Max paused for a minute, looking at her rather smugly. "So, I hope you have a good time on your date this evening because it will be the last one you’ll be going out on for a while."

"What do you mean?" she asked, her eyebrows drawn together.

"Well, with me out of the country, you’ll be needed around here," he stated smugly.

Fran’s eyes narrowed as she felt the irritation rise in her. "Boy, mister, you are really something! You’ll just go to any lengths to keep me from going out with another guy, won’t you?"

Max maintained a calm voice. "I assure you, Miss Fine, this trip is quite urgent, and I’m afraid I must depend on you to be here for the children while I’m gone. It has nothing to do with my personal feelings."

"And that’s just your problem, mister," she said, wagging her finger at him. "Nothing ever has anything to do with your personal feelings."

"Just what are you saying, Miss Fine?" he posed feigning innocence.

"I’m saying that just once, why can’t you tell me how you really feel about me going out with Jeff?" Fran gestured wildly with her hands before they landed emphatically on her hips.

Max felt a sudden panic. This wasn’t going the way he had planned. He wasn’t ready for this discussion. He thought the London trip would buy him more time, and now here she was standing over him demanding an answer. She stood there with her eyebrows raised expectantly and tapping her foot. His heart was screaming at him to jump up and take her in his arms and tell her he loved her. To tell her it was killing him to watch her go out with Jeff. But his lips wouldn’t move, and he sat glued to his chair. Taking a deep breath, he said, "Miss Fine, if you will just please assure me that you will be here to see to the children’s needs, then I can get back to work. I have a lot to do before I must leave tomorrow."

"Arrrgh," she let out as she turned around and stomped out of his office. She fought tears as she ran up the stairs to her room. She had just about had it with Maxwell Sheffield and his repressed emotions. There was only so much a girl could take.

By the time Jeff got there to pick her up that evening, she was still a little testy. She really wanted to just forget the whole conversation with Mr. Sheffield that morning and have a good time with Jeff, but she was having a hard time keeping it shoved to the back of her mind. She just kept thinking about how much she loved him and how much she dreamed of her life as a real member of his family. But she had posed a direct question, and still he couldn’t bring himself to give her an honest answer. She was starting to realize that hearing those three precious words from Maxwell Sheffield’s mouth was just not likely to ever happen again.

Jeff’s eyes lit up when he saw her. She was dressed in jeans and a sweater because they were going out for pizza and a basketball game, but still, he was bowled over by how beautiful she looked. As he kissed her on the cheek, he noticed she seemed a little out of sorts. "What’s wrong, Fran? Are you feeling ok?"

She gave him a little smile. "Yeah, I’m ok. It’s just that Mr. Sheffield makes me so mad sometimes." She stopped herself as soon as she realized what she’d said. She looked at Jeff quickly to gauge his reaction.

"What did he do to make you mad?" he asked, concerned.

"Uh, well, he. . ." She couldn’t tell Jeff that Mr. Sheffield had refused to tell her he loved her. Thinking quickly, she said, "He’s leaving for a week in London tomorrow, so he told me I have to stay home the whole time to take care of the kids."

"A whole week? That’s too bad. I was hoping that you and I could go out a few times in the next week."

"Me too," she said, putting her arms around his shoulders.

Jeff pulled her up against him and gave her a kiss. "Well, if that’s what you want, then I don’t see a problem. You’re free during the day while the kids are at school, and I do get a lunch hour every day, you know. And if you need to stay here in the evening, why can’t I come over and keep you company? I think hanging out with you watching Nick at Night sounds like a great time."

"Are you sure you don’t mind?" she asked with just a bit of poutiness in her voice.

"Mind? Fran, I don’t care what we do, as long as I get to be with you," he assured her.

Fran put her hand tenderly on his cheek. Jeff was so sweet and understanding. Why was she worried about what Maxwell Sheffield was doing or not doing? She was standing there in the arms of a great-looking guy who was willing to do whatever it took to make her happy. If Max had walked into the room at that moment, she would have told him to go to hell.

And Jeff couldn’t have been happier with the news of her boss’ trip. He was fully aware that there was something between Fran and Max, but he wasn’t quite sure of the extent of it. All he knew was that the times he’d been at their house before, Max had acted like a jealous boyfriend. But with him out of the way for the next week, Jeff was determined to take every advantage to move things along with Fran. At this point, he didn’t know how much of a chance he had of winning her heart, but he did know for sure that, when it came to the beautiful woman he was holding in his embrace, he had already fallen, and fallen hard.

****************

Fran and Jeff sat snuggled up to each other on the couch balancing a bowl of popcorn between them. "I’ll tell ya, that Lucy," said Fran, shaking her head and smiling. She set the popcorn over on the coffee table.

Jeff leaned in close. "This is my favorite part of the show," he said, looking into Fran’s eyes.

Fran pointed to the TV. "The commercial’s on," she stated.

"I know," he said, grabbing her mouth with his own. He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. Fran joined in wholeheartedly, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. They sat there making out like a couple of love-struck teenagers seizing the opportunity before their parents caught them. Fran had never realized how much fun it could be to just sit at home and watch TV. But when she had a handsome guy who enjoyed the old classics as much as she did, it could make for a very enjoyable evening. And toss in the fact that he kissed her about a million times whenever a commercial came on, well, that made it about the most fun she’d had in a very long time.

Noting that the commercial was ending, he pulled away from her and said, "I wonder what’s on next."

"Dick Van Dyke," she stated without hesitating.

"I don’t suppose you know which episode," he challenged her.

"Sure I do. It’s the one where a package gets delivered while Rob’s at work and Laura can’t keep from opening it."

"You’re kidding! That’s one of my favorite episodes!" Jeff exclaimed. He started to kiss her again when she stopped him.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute. I gotta see the part where he trips over the ottoman." The two of them stared at the TV until Rob Petrie was sprawled out in his living room floor and then immediately went back to necking. Just then, the phone rang, but they both ignored it.

After three rings, Jeff pulled away from her and asked, "Aren’t you going to get it?"

"Niles can get it," she said, pulling his head back down to her and kissing him thoroughly. He was most happy to oblige.

In the kitchen, Niles picked up the phone. "Sheffield residence," he stated in his most proper butler voice.

"Hello, Niles, I just wanted to check in and see how things are going there at home," came Maxwell’s voice from the other end.

"Oh, hello, sir. Everything’s just fine here. How are things going for you there in London?"

"Well, I do seem to be getting matters taken care of. Not as quickly as I had hoped, I’m afraid. Scheduling meetings with various lawyers and accountants takes time. But I should be home by the end of the week." Max thought to himself that there really was no hurry. Niles had just told him things were fine, and he knew the longer he was away, the longer Miss Fine would be safely there at home. Max was dying to ask about her. He wondered if she was still irritated with him, but he was especially anxious to know how she was handling being stuck at home all week and if the hold he’d put on her relationship with that detective was working. He knew she and Niles confided in each other, and he knew that Niles would know. But he also knew that Niles would run and tell her that he had asked, so he had to be careful what he said.

Trying to sound casual, he said, "What’s going on with the children this week?"

"Nothing in particular. It’s been a regular school week for the three of them."

Max paused for a minute, trying to decide how to phrase his next question. Finally, he said, "Um, is Miss Fine there?"

Niles thought about his last walk through the living room when he’d witnessed Fran and Jeff being very cozy. "Yes, sir, she’s right here in the living room watching TV." Max breathed a sigh of relief. Just the answer he was hoping for. "Did you want to speak with her, sir?"

"No, that’s all right. It can wait until I get back. I guess that’s all, Niles. Give my love to the children," Max said as he was hanging up.

"Yes, sir. Good-bye, sir." Niles hung up the phone and just stood there staring at it. He sighed deeply and shook his head. How in the hell could that man be such a dolt when it came to Miss Fine? He probably should have told him that she was not watching TV alone, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. He had done everything he could think of over the last five years to bring those two together, and now it looked as though all his efforts had been for naught. Mr. Sheffield was still so out of touch with his feelings for Miss Fine, and it was obvious that Miss Fine had given up waiting around for him. No, it wasn’t his place to deliver such heartbreaking news, and he certainly wasn’t going to deliver it across the Atlantic. He picked up his cleaning cloth and headed back upstairs dreading Mr. Sheffield’s arrival on Friday.

Back in the living room, Fran and Jeff were totally oblivious to the hilarity of the classic TV episode on the screen. Fran had leaned back on the pillow propped against the arm of the couch and had pulled Jeff down on top of her. Their kisses had turned from playful to very meaningful, and Jeff couldn’t keep his hands from roaming up and down her back and dancing lightly across her stomach. As his kisses became more and more demanding, Fran was finding it hard to breathe. She never thought anyone could make her heart flutter the way Maxwell Sheffield could, but what she was feeling inside for this very sweet, handsome man could not be dismissed. All she knew right now was that whatever he was doing to her, she didn’t want him to stop.

The slamming of the front door broke through their romantic haze and they both sat up quickly. Maggie looked over at them surprised. "Sorry, did I interrupt something?" she asked innocently.

Jeff cleared his throat and stood up. "No, that’s ok. I was just leaving." He reached down for Fran’s hand and pulled her up off the couch. She straightened her clothing and checked herself over.

"Don’t mind me," Maggie said, hurrying up the stairs.

Fran and Jeff just looked at each other and started laughing. He gave her a sweet kiss and said, "I guess I better go. Will you come meet me for lunch again tomorrow?"

"You know I’ll be there," she said, caressing the bottom of his chin with her forefinger. "How about a picnic in the park?"

"Fran, you’re gonna cook for me?" he asked, touched.

"Nah, I’ll have Niles throw something together," she said with one of her coy little grins. She took his hand and led him to the door and then pulled his jacket out of the closet and handed it to him. She gave him a long, slow goodnight kiss, and when she finally turned him loose, he staggered backwards trying to regain his balance and composure. "Goodnight," she said, blessing him with that gorgeous smile of hers.

"Goodnight," he replied, giving her one more quick peck before turning and heading out the door. She peered through the window and gave him a little wave. Then she breathed in a deep, dreamy sigh and turned out the light. Heading back through the living room, she scooped up the popcorn bowl to take to the kitchen. She still couldn’t believe how much she loved being with Jeff. He was so much fun and so cute. And what a fabulous kisser! She didn’t think she would ever get tired of kissing him.

She thought back to how mad she’d been when Mr. Sheffield first told her that she’d have to stay home all week. She realized now that there had been absolutely no reason to be mad—this week was working out better than she could have possibly dreamed. Mr. Sheffield and all his hang-ups were an ocean away, and that gave her and Jeff the chance to be together as much as they wanted to really get to know each other. And she didn’t have to worry about running into her uptight boss around the house and dealing with the emotions that always stirred up. In fact, she realized, this had been one of the most pleasant weeks she’d had in a long time.

*****************

As Max felt the plane start to descend over JFK, he looked at his watch and reset it to New York time. He began calculating to himself—2:00, and with the Friday afternoon traffic he should be home by 4:00. That would give him plenty of time to visit with the children before they headed out to whatever evening plans they might have. It would also give him plenty of time to invite Miss Fine to dinner so they could catch up on the past week. Max did feel a little bad about her having to stay cooped up in the house all week while he was gone, so he figured a nice dinner at the Rainbow Room might be just the thing for the two of them.

Besides, he’d had all week to think about how things had been going between them, and although he wasn’t quite ready to pour his heart out to her, he did find himself quite amenable to the idea of moving their relationship forward at least a few steps. And a lovely, candlelit dinner and a little dancing just might do the trick.

He thought back to that heated exchange in his office just before he’d left. She had demanded to know how he felt about her going out with Jeff, and it had taken him all week to come up with an answer. He didn’t like it—no sir, he didn’t like it one bit. But he couldn’t tell her that because it would just prompt the next logical question, which was whether or not he wanted a committed relationship with her, and he wasn’t ready to go there just yet. No, he had to be very careful how he handled it. But he was absolutely sure that he had truly missed her this last week and that he enjoyed her company tremendously. He was really looking forward to having a nice, romantic dinner with her that night.

The airport crowds and the Manhattan traffic made Max even more anxious to get home. He finally stepped through the front door, and was greeted by Niles. "Welcome home, sir. How was your flight?"

"Just fine, Niles. Where is everyone?"

"Miss Margaret stayed on campus with some friends, but Master Brighton and Miss Grace are in their rooms. May I take your bags, sir?"

Max just looked at Niles a bit perturbed, and Niles immediately caught his drift. "She’s in her room also."

"Thank you, Niles," Max said, handing him his coat.

He took the stairs two at a time and headed toward Miss Fine’s room. He knocked lightly on her bedroom door, and a smile broke out on his face as his ears were greeted with that unmistakably nasal, "Come in." He stepped inside and his smile immediately turned into a slight frown as his eyes landed on the overnight bag on her bed.

Fran came walking out of her closet folding a shirt and her eyes opened in surprise when she saw him standing there. "Oh," she said, a bit taken aback. "Hello, Mr. Sheffield."

"Hello," he replied, still stunned. "Going somewhere, Miss Fine?"

"Uh, yeah, just a little weekend trip. I figured I had a few days coming after this week."

Max felt a wave of disappointment hit him as he realized his plans for the Rainbow Room were out the window. "And where are you off to? You and Val going to hit all the malls in the tri-state area?" he joked, his green eyes crinkling.

She looked at him a bit nervously and then walked back into her closet. From inside, she called out, "No, the Poconos."

Max cocked his head in surprise. "You and Val are going to the Poconos?" Max didn’t like the way this was going. There was only one reason he could think of that two single women would spend a weekend at the Poconos—to meet men.

From inside her closet, Fran said just loudly enough for him to hear her, "I’m going with Jeff." There was a very heavy pause, and then Fran came walking slowly out into her room and looked at Max. She couldn’t interpret the look on his face—anger? hurt? a mixture of both? "Mr. Sheffield, it is ok if I take a couple of days off, isn’t it? I mean, I haven’t had a day off in over a week, and I’ve been home every night—"

"Fine!" It came out more forcefully than he intended. "Have a wonderful time!" he almost shouted.

"Mr. Sheffield, are you sure it’s ok? You seem a little angry."

"It’s just that I’ve been gone an entire week, and I thought maybe we could spend a little time together, you know, as a family." As soon as he said it, he realized how ridiculous it sounded.

"Well, the kids all have plans for this evening, so your family time is gonna have to wait until tomorrow anyway. And I’m sorry I didn’t check with you first, but, like I said, I figured I had earned some time off." She watched his eyes drawing closer together and his mouth setting in a firm line. "So can I have a couple of days off or not?"

Max ran his fingers through his hair and started pacing about the room. "I just can’t believe you’re going away for the weekend with that guy. I mean, you’ve only gone out with him twice, and I don’t think that sets a very good example for the children."

Fran felt her anger start to rise. She couldn’t believe he would stoop so low as to bring the kids into this. "First of all, I’ve seen him a lot more than twice. And you know perfectly well this has nothing to do with the children."

"All right. Fine. Then obviously you’re doing it to spite me. You’re trying to force me into admitting how I feel about you going out with him."

Fran put her hands on her hips as her eyes narrowed in anger. "You know, Mr. Sheffield, not everything is about you. And I’m going away for the weekend with Jeff because I want to—because I want to spend some time alone with him—get it?"

Max felt like he’d been punched in the stomach. Yes, he got it, and he abhorred the very idea of what she was intimating. He had been willing to take their relationship a few steps farther, but this had thrown it completely off track. Taking things slowly was no longer an option. "All right! I admit that I don’t like you going out with him!" He was definitely shouting now.

"Oh, really? Go figure!" she quipped, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She took a deep breath. Tossing the last few items into her bag, she stated, "Not good enough."

Max squeezed his eyes shut as he pinched the bridge of his nose. God, she could exasperate him beyond reason. He watched her zip her bag closed and realized he was nearly out of chances. This was it, he knew, and he was furious that she was forcing the issue. "Ok, ok! I don’t like you going out with him because… because I care very much for you! There! Are you happy now?"

She just stood there and stared at him incredulous. This guy was unbelievable, she thought. "Oh, yeah. I’m thrilled. You told me you loved me once because you were scared shitless, and now you’re so pissed that you care very much for me. Yeah, I’m freakin’ ecstatic." She grabbed her bag off the bed and marched right around him. "Au revoir, Mr. Sheffield. I’m outta here."

Max turned and watched her slam the door behind her. He felt his knees give out from under him, and he sat down hard on the edge of her bed. He sat staring into space, trying to comprehend what had just happened. He had admitted his feelings for her, but it hadn’t made any difference. It was too little too late, and now she was off to do God-knows-what with another man.

Fran flew down the stairs and grabbed her jacket out of the closet. She had been wondering if she had made the right decision accepting Jeff’s invitation for the weekend. But the guy behind her was an emotional basket case, and she was sick to death of dealing with him. It was too hard, and she really just couldn’t take it anymore. The guy waiting for her was sweet and loving and so eager to make her happy. That little display upstairs had made the choice easy for her. She slammed the door of the Sheffield mansion behind her, planning to have a wonderful weekend with Jeff and not give Maxwell Sheffield another thought.

*******************

The drive to the Poconos seemed to fly by as Fran and Jeff sang TV theme songs and played classic TV trivia. They pulled into the Brookside Inn just in time for dinner Friday evening. As they headed across the lobby toward the front desk, it suddenly struck Fran that they had not discussed whether their reservations were for two single rooms or one double room. Immediately, she started wondering what assumptions Jeff had made when she accepted his invitation for the weekend. Then she wondered what her own assumptions had been. She had hinted to Mr. Sheffield that she wanted to be alone with Jeff, but did she mean alone alone? What if Jeff had only reserved one room? Were they ready for that? Was she ready for that? She had once told Nigel that she wasn’t "that kind of girl." So, what kind of girl was she?

Just then, they stepped up to the front desk and Jeff said, "Reservations for Sheehan." Fran stood by nervously while Jeff signed the paperwork and the clerk processed their reservation. Then the clerk said, "Rooms 304 and 306," as he handed two room keys to Jeff, and Fran breathed a huge sigh of relief. Jeff looked at her strangely. "Is everything all right?" he asked.

"Yeah. Everything’s just fine," she smiled back at him. She should have known that Jeff would be a complete gentleman. Eager to move on to another topic, she said, "I could use a little nosh, though."

"Me too. Let’s get settled in and we’ll go find someplace fun for dinner." He grabbed their bags and started across the lobby.

"Sounds good," she replied.

After unpacking, they found a lively little bar and grill. They placed their orders with the waiter, and then Jeff reached over and took her hand in his. "Now, Fran, what do you want to do this weekend? You’ve been cooped up in that house for a week, so I want you to have a really good time doing whatever you want."

Fran took a deep breath and thought for just a minute. Then she said, "I just want to go and do. You know—be outside, have lots of fun, forget about—" she stopped herself just in time.

Jeff had a sneaking suspicion just who Fran wanted to forget about. And that was exactly who he wanted her to forget about. In fact, it was the main reason he had suggested this little getaway. He was hoping that a couple of days alone with him would make her realize just how perfect they were for each other. He looked across the table and saw that shine in those beautiful, dark eyes and knew that he was already so much in love there was nothing he wouldn’t do to help her come to that understanding.

"Ok, how about a game of tennis in the morning, sailing in the afternoon, and a romantic candlelight dinner tomorrow night?" he suggested.

"What—no shopping?" she said with a grin.

"We can do all the shopping you want. We can do whatever you want. I’m just happy to be the one doing everything with you."

Fran gave him one of those smiles that made his heart quicken and said, "You have no idea how wonderful it sounds to hear you say that." Just then, their dinner arrived, and they thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company as they ate.

After they finished their New York cheesecake, they stayed and listened to a guy who sang and told some jokes. Fran and Jeff both laughed themselves silly, and got up and did some fun dances in front of the crowd.

It was getting close to midnight when Jeff noticed that Fran was yawning. He said, "Why don’t we turn in for tonight? That way, we can get to the tennis courts early." They walked back to the hotel hand in hand, and when they got to Fran’s room, Jeff gave her a tender goodnight kiss. She felt a tingling sensation in her stomach and realized that it seemed to happen now every time he kissed her. Maybe it was just because he was such a good kisser, she thought to herself. She wasn’t quite ready to admit that it could be the feelings his kisses stirred in her.

Once inside, she got ready for bed looking forward to the fun day Jeff had planned for them tomorrow. As she slid under the covers, she couldn’t help thinking how nice it was to have someone who was so intent on making her happy. She really wasn’t used to such treatment, but it was becoming apparent that she could get used to it very easily.

Their tennis game Saturday morning was invigorating but lots of fun. Fran’s game surprised Jeff just a bit, and the score ended up being rather close. Afterward, Fran told him she felt like lounging by the pool for a while before lunch. He agreed to meet her poolside, and he had already claimed a couple of chaises when she came through the gate. When she walked up to him, he opened his mouth to say something, but at that exact moment, she slid her cover-up off and tossed it down on the deck. Jeff’s lower jaw hung in mid-air, and he couldn’t have recalled his thought if his life depended on it. Fran was wearing the tiniest bikini he’d ever seen. The bright pink color set off her dark hair and eyes, and the stunning curves that it revealed to him knocked him absolutely speechless.

"Oh, my God," he thought to himself. "How in the hell am I supposed to sit here and have a normal conversation with her while she’s wearing that?"

Fran looked at him strangely. "Is something the matter?" she asked.

"Uh-h, h-how about a swim?" he stammered.

"Nah, you go ahead. I just wanna sit here and relax a little after our tennis game." She settled back onto the chaise and opened her Cosmo.

Relaxing next to her was only a remote possibility for him, so he stood up and said, "You don’t mind if I go ahead?"

"Sure, don’t mind me," she stated without looking up.

Jeff ran across the deck and dived into the deep end. He came up making long, rapid strokes. It didn’t take more than five for him to reach the other end, and then he turned and was headed back the other way. He repeated the process until his arms and legs felt like lead. Finally, he pulled himself out of the pool and grabbed a towel. He collapsed onto his chaise as Fran looked over at him with a knowing little grin. "Feeling any better?" she quipped.

He was breathing so hard, he could barely speak. Finally, he managed to eek out, "Much," as Fran shook her head slightly and turned her attention back to her magazine.

After lunch at the poolside café, they went sailing on the crystal blue mountain lake. Fran was surprised at Jeff’s skill in maneuvering the small sailboat. "Who knew a New York cop could be such a sailor!" she remarked, impressed.

"My folks had a lake home while I was growing up. My brother and I had our own sailboat," he explained.

"Your brother?"

"Yeah, he lives in Boston now. He’s a prosecutor."

"And your folks?"

"They still live in Manhattan." He paused for just a minute, wondering if he should bring up what he’d been thinking. He didn’t want her to think he was trying to move things along too fast. Finally, he said, "I’ve told them all about you, Fran. They’re anxious to meet you. They’d love to have us over for dinner one evening soon."

Dinner with the parents, huh? Fran wondered if that meant what she was thinking it meant. It certainly sounded like it, and it gave her a warm glow to think that her relationship with Jeff had reached the point that he was thinking beyond just dating. She gave him one of her smiles and said, "I’d love to meet your family. I guess you’ve already met Ma, and if she didn’t scare you away, I suppose you can handle meeting the rest of my family."

He leaned over and gave her a sweet kiss, which turned into another one and another, and soon they were so caught up in each other that when the boat suddenly listed, it took Jeff an extra second or two to figure out how to set things straight.

Promptly at eight o’clock that evening, Jeff rapped lightly on Fran’s hotel room door. When she opened it, he just stood there speechless. Her hair was swept softly up off her neck with tiny curls cascading down her back. She wore a white spaghetti strap dress with a plunging neckline that he couldn’t take his eyes off. The dress fell snugly to her hips where it flared out just enough to accentuate her movements when she walked. She picked up her evening bag and slipped her arm through his. "Ready?" she asked.

Jeff finally gathered himself enough to reach over and place a gentle kiss on her cheek. "You look absolutely gorgeous," he whispered into her ear.

She gave him the smile that he had grown to love so much, and he made a vow at that moment to spend the rest of his life doing whatever he could to bring that captivating smile to her beautiful face as often as possible.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Fran looked around and was enchanted by the romantic atmosphere. They were seated by a window overlooking the lake, and the waiter appeared almost immediately with a bottle of champagne. He opened it and poured them each a glass. After he disappeared, Jeff looked across the table and noted how the candlelight played off the natural sparkle in her dark almond eyes. Raising his glass, he said, "To you, Fran, the most beautiful woman I have ever known. And I mean beautiful in every way."

His heartfelt sentiment touched her deeply, and she could only smile back at him as they each took a sip. They ordered the lobster, and as the band began playing, Jeff realized that he would probably die if he weren’t holding her in his arms in the next few seconds. He led her out to the dance floor and was happy when she wrapped both arms around his shoulders. He took advantage of it to pull her snugly up against him while they swayed to the romantic melody. He was intoxicated by her perfume, but moreso by the feel of her body against his and the realization that he probably wouldn’t get very far into the evening without confessing his love for her. He just prayed she was ready to hear it.

At that very moment, Max was sitting in the living room of the Sheffield mansion, staring mindlessly at the television. He really needed to get to bed. He was exhausted still from his London trip and all that had happened the last couple of days. But he needed to wait up for Maggie to get home from her date. "What the hell am I paying a nanny for if I’m the one who has to sit here to see that Margaret arrives home safely?" he asked himself. It irritated him to no end that Miss Fine wasn’t there to do her job when he needed her. Actually, it irritated him to no end when she wasn’t there for any reason. He needed her there. He needed her, period.

He took a large swig of the scotch he held in his hand as Niles came in from the kitchen.

"I just thought I’d see if there’s anything else, sir, before I turn in for the evening," Niles stated.

"No, there’s nothing else," replied Max. Niles had turned to leave the room when his boss added, "Except. . ."

Niles stopped and turned back around. "Except what, sir?"

"What do you suppose they’re doing right now?" he asked, glancing at the clock and noting the late hour.

"Who, sir?" Max just looked at him perturbed. "Oh, you mean Miss Fine and her. . ." Niles hesitated. "Her friend."

"Oh, come on, Niles," Max stated agitated. "You know as well as I do that they are more than just friends. But they certainly don’t know each other well enough to be going off on some weekend together. I find it unconscionable. I thought I knew her better than that."

Niles hesitated for a few moments before deciding to let his boss in on what he knew. But he couldn’t have Mr. Sheffield thinking such things of his best friend. "Well, sir, I believe they know each other better than you think. They were together every day while you were in London."

Max looked at him astounded. "Every day? But I made myself perfectly clear that she be available for the children the entire time I was gone. Are you telling me she went out against my direct orders?" He jumped up from the couch and started pacing about the room.

"No, sir, she would never do that. She was here the entire time. It’s just that Jeff was here with her most of that time also."

"What about the night I called and you told me she was watching TV in the living room?" Niles kept his head down, looking at the floor. "You mean he was right here with her, and you didn’t think it necessary to mention that important detail?" Niles just nodded.

"How could you!" Max spit out. Niles continued staring at the floor. Max stopped his pacing and stood there expectantly. "Well, come on, I’m waiting for an explanation."

Max was having a hard time keeping his voice under control. He didn’t know which was upsetting him more right now—the extreme jealousy he felt thinking about Miss Fine and that detective getting cozy right there in his own home, or the deep resentment he felt toward his butler of twenty-five years showing more loyalty to Miss Fine than to him.

"Sir, I didn’t feel it was my place to say anything."

"Oh, that’s a bunch of utter rot. You know as well as I that you seize every opportunity to gossip. If you had let me know, I could have made it a point to get home sooner and put a stop to it. I just can’t believe you would be so disloyal to me after all these years. I have half a mind to fire you."

Niles realized that Mr. Sheffield was so upset over the news that he wasn’t thinking rationally. He was angry at himself, Niles knew, and he was projecting that anger onto him. But he was willing to allow it because he understood thoroughly the feelings of panic Mr. Sheffield was suffering right now. Miss Fine was the best thing to come into his life since Sara died, and it was obvious now that she was slipping away. Niles shuddered at the thought of what losing Miss Fine was going to do to him—to all of them.

"I’m sorry, sir. Perhaps I should have used better judgment," he offered apologetically.

Max looked at him and ran his fingers through his hair. Taking a deep breath, he said, "Oh, I’m sorry, old man." Max had to allow that it very well could be that he was losing his children’s nanny, and he would need Niles’ support if he were to have any chance of surviving it. Max walked back over and plopped down on the couch. "It may not make much difference now. The way things are going, she may not be around much longer."

"Oh, sir," Niles pleaded. "Don’t say that. Surely the two of you will work it out."

Max attempted a reassuring smile. "Yes, of course, old boy. We always seem to, don’t we?" He wished he felt as sure of himself as he sounded.

Jeff and Fran had just finished their delicious dinner and were gazing into each other’s eyes on the dance floor. Fran loved the feeling of being in his arms, and Jeff loved the feeling of his arms around her. They had had just enough champagne to give them a warm, pleasant feeling, and neither wanted their evening to end even though the hour was becoming late. Jeff couldn’t resist the way her sensuous mouth drew him to her, and as the song ended, he kissed her. But always with Fran, one kiss led to another, and soon he realized that he wanted nothing more than the chance to kiss her over and over without an audience. "How about a stroll around the lake?" he whispered.

She smiled her agreement, and they gathered their things and left the restaurant. Walking with her arm through his, Fran inhaled the pure mountain air as it came skipping across the lake in a light breeze. The moonlight dancing across the waves added to the romantic ambience, and as soon as they got to a spot away from the other strollers, Jeff turned and pulled her to him. His kisses this time were passionate and demanding, and Fran was feeling swept away by the deep emotions he was kindling in her. She returned his kisses unreservedly, and Jeff thrilled at her response. There was no way, he thought, she could be thinking of anyone but him right now.

Finally, Fran broke their kiss and laid her head on his shoulder. "Oh, Jeff," she said, "I’m having a wonderful time. Being here with you is very special."

"It means a lot to me too. In fact, I hope we have many more special nights like this." He paused and took a deep breath. "Fran, look at me. I need to tell you something."

She raised her head and looked directly into his eyes. She could read all the deep emotions he held for her written there, and she knew what he was about to say. And she was so ready to hear it.

"Fran, I’ve fallen very much in love with you," he told her, his voice choking with sincerity.

Fran felt tears coming to her eyes, and a little sob caught in her throat. This wonderful, sweet guy had fallen in love with her, and it made her heart soar. Unable to speak, she pulled his head toward her and kissed him with all the emotion her heart was feeling. She couldn’t stop the tears that cascaded down her face at his words. He gently brushed his thumb across her cheeks, wiping them away. "I hope to God those are happy tears I see."

She could only nod. He kissed her again and then just stood there holding her in the moonlight. He had been praying that when he poured out his heart to her, he would hear those three precious words from her as well, but he was aware of all that she had been wrestling with, and for the moment, he was just thrilled to see her joy at his declaration. One day soon, he hoped, she would be able to return his love completely and unconditionally, and until then, he would make it his personal quest to let her know just how much he loved her and wanted to make her happy.

Without a word, they turned and headed back toward the hotel. When they got to her room, Jeff kissed her gently at first and then with increasing passion until Fran felt herself becoming light-headed.

Her kisses were having the same effect on him, and he had to pull away from her to catch his breath. Pressing his forehead to hers, he whispered, "Fran, baby, I don’t want this evening to end."

She looked at him and could tell what he was asking written in his eyes. She didn’t even hesitate. He loved her, and even though she wasn’t sure that what she was feeling for him could be called love, she knew it was strong and very intense, and it was keeping her from wanting the evening to end too.

She handed him her room key, and as the door opened, she pulled him inside. There was no sense of urgency to their movements. This was very special to them both, and they wanted to savor it. Fran slid his jacket from his shoulders, and he pulled his tie off. He pulled her to him and began a trail of tiny kisses across her cheek and down her neck. She ran her fingers through his luxurious, thick hair and let go an instinctive moan at the sensations his mouth was creating in her.

She took him by the hand and led him over to the bed. She sat down on the edge of it and looked up at the warm, loving smile on his face. She lay back on the pillow and pulled him down on top of her. The feeling of his body on hers sent a tingling sensation through her, and she ran her hands up and down his back drawing pleasure from the feel of it.

He kissed her mouth over and over, but when he felt her tongue seeking his, he felt a jolt go through him. He suckled it for a moment, and then pushed it back so that he could bathe the inside of her mouth with his own tongue. It was the sweetest taste he could ever remember.

He started down her neck with hot kisses and felt a small surge at her response. He continued the trail lower until he reached the edge of the fabric that just covered her breasts. Sliding the spaghetti strap down her arm loosed the fabric just enough for him to slide his tongue inside and lave the tip of her breast, causing her to draw in her breath sharply. Encouraged by it, he gave a gentle tug on the bodice of her dress until her breast was revealed to him, and it was his turn to lose his breath momentarily. The beauty of her was beyond his imagination, and he took it tenderly in his mouth and sucked on it, pulling at it over and over until Fran felt like crying out.

She ran her fingers through his hair, and squeezed her eyes shut, reveling in the sensations he was sending through her body. Suddenly, she thought she felt wisps of hair curling around her fingers, and it stilled her hands. Jeff didn’t have wavy hair, but the last man she had kissed certainly did. She opened her eyes and looked at the face of the sweet man delivering such tender ministrations and realized it wasn’t the one her mind had just been conjuring. "Damn it!" she thought to herself. "Damn him" was more like it.

Jeff couldn’t help but notice the sudden shift in her demeanor. "Fran?" he said worried.

"I’m sorry, Jeff," she said, tears coming to her eyes. "I guess I’m just not ready for this."

"No, I’m sorry," he offered immediately. "I shouldn’t have pushed you. I don’t want you to do anything you’re not ready for. I love you, and I never want to hurt you or upset you in any way."

"God, please don’t apologize. It’s not you. It’s me. I just. . ."

"Shh," he said, placing his finger gently on her lips. "It’s ok. I just want to make you happy," he explained, getting up off the bed and reaching for his jacket and tie.

Fran got up and walked him to the door. She really didn’t deserve this guy, she thought. He was just so sweet and understanding. He gave her a tender little peck on the lips and said, "I’ll see you in the morning for breakfast," and then he was out the door.

That’s when the tears gushed forth and the uncontrollable sobs came. "Damn you, Maxwell Sheffield!" she cried out. How in the hell did he manage to haunt her like this?

She pulled off her clothes and fell into bed, knowing sleep would be a long time coming. She couldn’t keep her mind from creating two alternating visions before her eyes. One was of the extreme exasperation on Mr. Sheffield’s face as he stood in her bedroom ranting that he "cared very much" for her. The other was the intense hurt in Jeff’s eyes when she’d called their lovemaking to a halt. And the thing that was most upsetting was the realization that it was the first vision that had caused the other. She tossed about in her bed for hours asking herself the same question over and over: He had caused her unspeakable heartache over the last five years—would she allow him to do that the rest of her life?

The next morning at breakfast, Fran and Jeff both seemed fine and to all outward appearances, they were a happy couple enjoying each other’s company. But there were moments when Fran looked at him and caught a glimpse of the hurt she had caused.

"So," he said, trying to sound cheerful. "What do you want to do today?"

Fran hesitated for a moment. As much as she had enjoyed her time with Jeff that weekend, she knew that last night had been a jolt of reality, and she needed some time to sort out her feelings. "Would you mind if we just headed on back?" she asked.

Jeff gave her a weak smile. He tried not to let his disappointment show in his face. "No, I don’t mind. We can go pack right after breakfast."

Within an hour, they were back on the road, and the conversation between them this time was sparse and inconsequential. Mostly they enjoyed the scenery and took advantage of the time to do some thinking about the progress of their relationship. Every time Fran looked over at Jeff, he made it a point to smile back at her. He was trying desperately not to convey to her his disappointment with the way their romantic weekend seemed to have been derailed. Things had been going so well up until that one particular moment. And he was afraid she would think he was unhappy that she hadn’t followed through with their lovemaking. Although he had to admit he wanted desperately to make love to her, his true disappointment stemmed from the fact that he knew why she had put a stop to things. He understood that it was her feelings for her boss that were complicating matters for them, and while that bothered him tremendously, it didn’t lessen his determination to win her heart completely. It was just going to take a little more time, but he was willing to invest as much time as she needed. He loved her that much.

They pulled up in front of the Sheffield mansion early in the afternoon. Jeff turned off the car and leaned over to give her a kiss. He looked at her intently and took a deep breath. "I want you to know," he stated solemnly, "that I meant what I told you last night. I love you very much, and I know that your heart isn’t free to return my love now, but I’m a very patient man. Whenever you’re ready, all you have to do is say the word. All I’m asking is a chance to show you how much I love you and how happy we can be together." He gave her another sweet kiss and then got out of the car. He grabbed her bag out of the trunk and opened her door for her. He walked her up the steps and said, "I’ll call you later tonight." Fran was very touched by his words, but she couldn’t speak over the lump in her throat. She put her arms around his shoulders and they stood there in silence, holding each other close. Finally, she opened the door and stepped inside. She heard Jeff’s car pulling away as she entered the foyer. Seeing that the living room was empty, she breathed a sigh of relief. She really didn’t want to talk to anyone right now. She needed to be alone to do some serious thinking.

She went up to her room and unpacked. Then she lay down on her bed and closed her eyes. How did her life get to be such a mess, she wondered. The man she thought she loved so much couldn’t bring himself to admit his love for her. His feelings for her brought with them serious doubts on both their parts. He said he cared for her, but only when she forced him to admit it. What kind of love was that? And what about their differences? Their love was so shaky, surely it would never withstand the clashes that their two different worlds were sure to create. But then there were the children, whom she loved more than life itself. Was it really Maxwell Sheffield she loved, or was she blinded by everything his world had to offer, including becoming a real mother to her three beautiful children? How could she truly love a man who gave her so little in return? God, she was so confused.

Jeff had already professed his love for her, and she believed him wholeheartedly. He was warm and kind and so very giving. One thing she knew for certain was that if she had met Jeff before she had met Mr. Sheffield, there would be no question in her mind as to who she’d be with right now. Jeff was offering her everything she’d ever dreamed of, and she’d be foolish to pass that up for a repressed Brit who couldn’t make up his mind what he wanted.

Why couldn’t she just make a commitment to Jeff? She knew she had very strong feelings for him, even if she wasn’t ready to tell him she loved him. Did she love him? Did she love Maxwell Sheffield? Was it possible to love two men at the same time?

She thought back to the night before when she and Jeff had almost made love. She recalled the image that had crept into her mind. If she and Max were to make love, would Jeff’s face appear in her mind’s eye?

The thing that was upsetting her the most right now was the fact that Mr. Sheffield’s inability to make a move was ruling all their lives. It was keeping them from being together, but it was also keeping her and Jeff from being together. Because of Mr. Sheffield’s indecision, she was living at a crossroads having no idea which way to turn. Did she continue to wait for the man she knew she loved, or should she go ahead and accept Jeff’s love wondering if she would ever be able to give him her whole heart? Would loving Jeff mean leaving a little piece of her heart behind?

Maybe they should all just give it more time. Jeff had told her he was very patient. Maybe a little more time would give Mr. Sheffield the chance to come to terms with his feelings. She took a deep breath and she realized that more time was the best answer she was going to be able to come up with. After all, she had waited five years for him to make a move. She could wait a little longer. And Jeff was willing to give it all the time it might take. Feeling as though she had reached somewhat of a solution, she allowed the fatigue brought on by all the powerful emotions she’d been experiencing to overtake her and she fell into a light sleep.

A few hours later, there was a light tapping at her bedroom door. She sat up with a start. She wasn’t ready to face Mr. Sheffield. "Who is it?" she said, trying to keep the panic out of her voice.

"It’s Niles, Miss Fine. I was just wondering if you’ll be joining us for dinner." Fran glanced at the clock and was surprised to see that it was nearly 6:00. And she was starving. She hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast that morning with Jeff. But the thought of facing Mr. Sheffield just then was more than she could handle.

"No, thank you, Niles. I’m not hungry."

Niles rolled his eyes. He didn’t swallow that for one minute, but there was nothing he could do. "Very well, then," he said, heading back down to the kitchen.

Fran pulled herself up off the bed and went into her bathroom. A nice long soak would do her wonders. She ran the water as hot as she could stand it and poured in her favorite bath salts. She could use a little pampering, even if she had to do it herself.

In the dining room, the dinnertime conversation was stilted. Everyone knew Fran was back from her weekend, and her empty chair spoke volumes. Max had to force himself not to look over at it while he tried to keep up the chatter with the children. When he finally excused them, they took advantage of the opportunity and shot from their seats. Max walked straight into his office and buried himself in a pile of work.

Fran patted herself dry and slipped on her robe just as the phone rang. When she picked it up and said hello, she heard Jeff’s sweet voice on the other end. "Hi," he said.

"Hi," she replied.

"How are you doing?" he asked tenderly.

"I’m fine. I had a little nap and a long soak in the tub, so I’m feeling pretty good. I’m gonna go downstairs and eat a little something here in a few minutes," she explained to him.

"You didn’t have any dinner?" he asked, concern in his voice.

"No." She thought about telling him why, but decided there was no need to go into all of that.

"Why didn’t you call me?" he asked. He knew exactly why she would skip dinner with the family. "Listen, if things get too uncomfortable around there for you or if you just need to, you know, get away for a little while, you call me."

"Jeff, I can’t have you running to my rescue all the time. This is where I live—it’s my home and I have a job here." She decided just to be up front about it. "Look, Mr. Sheffield and I are bound to run into each other around here, and I have to deal with it myself."

"I know you can deal with it, but I want to be there for you whenever you need me. Just say you’ll call me next time. Promise?"

Fran smiled at his sweetness. "I promise."

"Now, when am I going to see you again? Lunch tomorrow? Dinner tomorrow night?"

Fran took a deep breath. She was so unused to such an attentive man, and it was very flattering. She really loved the way he was so attuned to her every need. "Thanks, but I really need a couple of days to…" she hesitated looking for the right words, "figure some things out."

Jeff tried to hide the disappointment in his voice. "Ok. Maybe later this week."

"Yeah, maybe." Their conversation then turned to light-hearted chit-chat as they recalled some of the fun things they had seen and done on their trip. After a few minutes, Fran felt the hunger pangs again and told Jeff she had to hang up.

She walked over to her door and pressed her ear to it listening for anyone else who might be out in the hall. Hearing nothing, she silently opened the door and tip-toed to the back stairs. Stepping lightly, she prayed none of them would creak and give away her presence. As she got to the last few steps, she peered into the kitchen and let go a big sigh of relief as she saw that it was empty.

She walked over to the sub-zero and opened it. Knowing Niles, he had left a plate for her. She spotted it and was reaching for it just as she heard the kitchen door swing open and she froze. She peaked around the door and there stood Mr. Sheffield setting his coffee cup on the counter.

They both stood looking at each other for a few moments before he said, "Hello, Miss Fine." She couldn’t decipher the look on his face, but she could tell he wasn’t in the cheeriest of moods.

"Hello," she said, closing the refrigerator door and setting the plate on the counter.

"How was your weekend? Anything interesting pop up?" he asked pointedly.

She became immediately incensed. How dare he be so crass! She placed her hands on her hips and declared, "My weekend was just fine. And as for anything "popping up," that’s none of your damn business!"

"But you make it my business when you set such a poor example for my children by going off on some wild weekend with a man you barely know," he argued.

"I know him a lot better than you think," she retorted.

"Yes, I understand that he made himself quite at home here while I was in London. Good thing none of the children needed anything while you were so busy entertaining him." He looked down at her imperiously.

She resented his implication, but she knew him too well to believe that was why he was angry. "Mr. Sheffield, why can’t you just be honest? We both know that if you thought I was neglecting my duties so much, you’d just fire me. Why don’t you tell me how you really feel about it?"

Max just lost it at that. He slammed his fist down on the counter. "Because I shouldn’t have to—I already told you how I feel! Why do you have to continue to parade these men in front of me when you know what it does to me?"

"What it does to you? Why is everything always about you? What about all that you’ve done to me the last five years? How much more do you think I can take?" She fought the tears, not wanting to give him the satisfaction.

"I told you how I feel! What more do you want?" He was nearly shouting now.

She marched over to him and looked him squarely in the face. Jabbing her finger at his chest, she said, "I want a man who will think about my feelings for a change, instead of only his own! I want a man who will tell me he loves me and then do something about it!" Fran suddenly became subdued as she realized she’d just described Jeff. Quietly, she said, "I want a man who can’t imagine his life without me."

Max felt a sudden pain clutch his heart and twist his stomach into a knot. The thought of not having her in his life was absolutely unbearable. But there were still too many doubts, too many questions unanswered. In a measured tone, he said, "You expect a commitment from me, but yet you’re out doing God-knows-what with that detective. Seems I’m not the only one not ready to make a commitment."

Fran let go an exasperated breath. She looked directly at him and said, "For your information, nothing happened between us." She wasn’t about to tell him why—that it was thoughts of him that kept her from being able to act on her feelings for Jeff.

Max just rolled his eyes at that. "And you expect me to believe that? I think you’re the one who needs to decide what you want."

That was the moment Fran realized their conversation had brought them to the point of no return, and she suddenly felt sick to her stomach. Unable to control the quiver in her voice, she stated, "I’ve made it clear to you what I want. And unless you want the same thing, there’s no reason for me to stay."

Max’s eyebrows drew together in disbelief. "Just what are you saying?"

Fran’s jaw was set in determination. "I’m saying it’s now or never, mister."

Max just stood there staring at her. He was struck speechless by her ultimatum. Didn’t she realize he needed more time? Didn’t she understand the seriousness of what she was asking? Didn’t she see the danger of putting their relationship on the line like that?

Fran stood there with her arms crossed and noted that the atmosphere in that room got thicker with each passing second. She willed him to say something, to take her in his arms and tell her he loved her and couldn’t live without her, tell her he wanted to be with her the rest of his life, to tell her that she meant everything to him. But only a heavy silence hung between them, and it spoke volumes.

She was numb all over, and she had no idea if she could get the words out, but she knew beyond certainty that this was it. She opened her mouth to say them, but stopped herself. She gave him one last chance to speak up, but his lips weren’t moving. Finally, they came out in a whisper, "Good-bye, Mr. Sheffield."

With that, she turned and ran up the back stairs. The realization that it was finally over hit her like a ton of bricks. She had to get out of that house. She ran into her room and dialed Jeff’s number. When he answered, she simply said, "Come get me."

Without any questions, he said, "I’ll be there in ten minutes," and hung up.

Max still stood immobile in the kitchen. The impact of what had just happened was too much to fathom. The only thing he could feel at that moment was an intense pain that tore through the middle of him. He stood there for the longest time until at last Niles came into the kitchen. He was shocked by his boss’ appearance. "Sir? Are you all right?" he asked concerned.

Niles’ question brought Max out of his trance. He looked blankly at his butler as he turned to leave the kitchen. "She’s gone," was all he could utter as he concentrated on making it to his bedroom before his legs gave out and he collapsed from the sheer agony of it all.

Back to Fan Fiction

Back to The Really Unofficial Nanny Home Page