Thanks to my friend Sabine for her constant support and hard work. You go girl!! ;o)

Shadows In Silence...

Part 9

by

Malu Reis
(goodandplenty2002@hotmail.com)

The Blonde and the Butler began to stumble and clutch, working toward the bedroom. They hit the doorframe and bounced. He pressed her against the wall and they didn’t realize they hadn’t got undressed until they were finished making love.

-"What th-?" A jolt hit Niles’ body bringing him back from Never-never Land. -"Damn it!" He mumbled out of breath realizing he had been dreaming. He opened his eyes and all he saw were pale bars of sunlight strip the psychedelic orange blanket that covered the still unfamiliar bed in which he lay. Outside, a morning mist rolled through the back yard, but the sky was blue and the sun was bright.

An entire week flew by for him, but he missed his C.C. terribly. Not only physically, but in every aspect, he thought sadly.

He had to admit that a series of emotional breakthroughs were reached with her help, nevertheless, the major improvement had occurred during those seven and a half days after he met Keith a.k.a. "Wheels" and his mother Lucy.

Wheels had served in the Vietnam war where he lost his legs; from what the Butler could understand. In the summer the Veteran would make a living as a Jet Ski mechanic, in the winter he would take care of snowmobiles.

At first, Niles thought Keith was an intriguing character only to realize later that Lucy was even more fascinating. The old woman was a retired Graphic Artist that had become a philosopher by force of nature. The curious part came from the fact that she sounded like one of those nineteen sixties,’ seventies’ gurus except she would say things straight-up to you, never trying to hit you with any clever buzzwords, nor a bunch of psychobabble nor the "en vogue" theory "du jour."

Niles’ nights were spent at Lucy’s place until late hours. She, her son, and the Butler would play cards, laugh a lot, have a few drinks, and seemingly go on and on, in endless conversations about the facts of life. Wheels’ wife had the night shift at the hospital where she worked as a nurse, which prevented her from participating more in those long philosophical discussions that Niles learned to enjoy so much.

Meanwhile, his days were spent on long walks, swimming in the lake, and pondering, reflecting about his future based on the input he had gotten the night before from his new, unusual friends.

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Back in New York "Yetta’s Letters" was in full-steam production. Fran was asked to hang out with the producers in case they needed some extra information on her grandmother’s background. She got to the 49<sup>th</sup> Street Theatre that afternoon and found her husband’s Business Associate sitting on the casting director’s chair. Somebody passed carrying a paper cup and C.C. took a last drag at a cigarette and dropped it in.

-"Oy Miss Babcock, I thought you had quit. Aren’t you wearing a patch?"

-"No." She blew out the remains of smoke.

-"When did that restart?"

-"Please, it’s just four a day." C.C. mumbled trying to dismiss the subject.

-"You shouldn’t, ya’ know." Fran insisted disgustedly.

-"Why, it’s bad for my health?"

-"Puh-lease, you don’t even inhale. It’s just that it annoys Max and that’s bad for my health."

-"Niles is not here, Nanny Fine, I need to be taking on somebody or having a smoke. If your husband wants me off his hair or off this thing…" She shook the package close to Fran’s nose. -"…he better bring that Butler back." C.C. bit at her lower lip in a clear display of distress.

-"Obviously, somebody better do that…" Fran whined to no one.

-"What did you say?"

-"I said, inhaling or not, it does no good to your health." Fran disguised.

-"One of the advantages of not being pregnant, sweetie." C.C. let out ironically.

-"That has nothing to do with pregnancy. Meanwhile, one never knows, you know..."

-"What is that supposed to mean?" She asked starkly.

-"Have you ever heard of flowers…bees..and-and…"

-"I underline, what is that supposed to mean?"

-"Oh come on, we all know you are having an affair with-…" Fran swallowed the name. "…This mysterious guy that-that…"

-"Hey-hey-hey…"

-"Wha…?"

-"Where did you get that idea from? Who told you that? What man?" C.C. asked threateningly.

-"Uh-uh… I don’t know…" Beat. -"Well, let’s face it, Miss Babcock, all of a sudden you stopped bitching people. Your skin has never been smoother, you’ve been laughing at jokes, and I mean laughing. I don’t think I ever saw you smiling, nor giggling, much less laughing for crying out loud! This man must be reaaally good."

C.C. shot her a glare.

-"Nothing like a good "Vitamin M," sister." Teacher-like.

-"Vitamin what?" C.C. wrinkled her forehead and her brows hovered somewhere near her hairline.

Fran smirked. -"Ya’ know…"

Getting it. -"Oh, I see." Sarcastically. -"Vitamin M, how colorful."

-"Jeez-Louise, admit it, Miss Babcock."

-"Admit what, that I was having an affair? Okay, I admit it, I was having an affair."

-"Was? Past tense?"

-"Yes, I thought I could date outside my species, but I was wrong. Do you know what men and sperms have in common? I’ll tell you what they have in common, they both have a one-in-a-million chance of becoming human."

-"Wha-why so down in the mouth? When you worry your face will frown. That will bring everybody down…Don’t worry, be happy…"

-"Oh, G-d." C.C. rolled her eyes. -"You could find the bright side on Jerry Springer, couldn’t you, Fran?"

-"Meanwhile, what did the man do to you?" Fran asked confusedly.

-"I-I…I don’t know. He, he, he…I…" She sighed dispiritedly. -"I simply don’t know. I just got to the conclusion that women might be able to fake orgasms, Nanny Fine, but men can fake whole relationships."

-"Ha-h? Okay, dish…"

-"Sorry Fran, I got a lot of work to do and I’m not in the mood to talk about this whole-… "

Fran insisted with a begging smile.

-"Listen, you have wigs to cover your head and I have problems to fill mine. Our casting director came down with the flu, the company that manages this place is going on strike and the toilets are a mess, one of our actors just broke a crown eating a pretzel and he’s threatening to sue our caterer. To sum up, I’m all stressed out with no one to choke unless you volunteer. No, I don’t want to discuss my sexual life with you, thank you very much!"

-"Well…" A loud voice interrupted their conversation. -"Well, if-…" The shrieking voice went louder. -"Oy, is she vocalizing or calling the mate?" Fran asked in awe.

-"See the kind of stuff I have to put up with?" C.C. to the actors. -"NEXT!"

-"Ugh, I think I might better leave you alone for now."

-"Please."

-"Where is Max?"

-"He should be back soon. He went after an ATM machine and a decent cup of Latte."

-"Dirty bathrooms, you said?" Fran shook.

-"A nightmare!"

-"Worse than a child-proof Kaopectate bottle?"

-"It pretty much describes…" C.C. reached for something in her purse.

-"Oh, shi---oot!" Fran groaned. -"I don’t care if they are a mess, I gotta go and I gotta go now. If Max gets here while I’m gone, could you please tell him that I’ve arrived already?" She paced toward the ladies’ room.

-"Fran?"

-"Yes?"

-"Here, take these with you." She tossed a key-holder to the Brunette. -"The one with a pink dot on it. Up those stairs, first door on the right. I’m keeping one locked for myself."

-"Bathroom?"

-"Yes."

-"Well, Honey-…"

-"Don’t tell anybody, though." She surveyed the room. -"I want to keep it clean."

-"I won’t. My survival might depend on it! Do you have any idea how many times a pregnant woman has to-…" Beat. -"…I really gotta go…" Fran exited toward the stairs.

-"Call the "Times"..." The Blonde added under her breath. Her professional mind ran easily through the cast list as she took a deep breath forcing her stomach muscles to relax. If the week flew by for the Butler it conversely crawled for her and in the back of her mind she kept asking the same question over and over again, ‘Where the hell are you, Niles?’

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The garage door groaned shut, a combination of hair-raising squeals and the tight, quickened shudders of rollers traveling slightly off track. Wheels’ wife was off duty that night and the two of them decided to catch a movie in town.

The night air, a grim mixture of wind and slanting rain hit Niles’ face like needles. He had gone out for some air after Lucy went to walk her son and daughter-in-law to the car. Minutes later, the old lady called the Butler in - the constant dancing orange dot of her cigarette the only uninviting thing in that place, he thought. The house was suddenly quiet except for an old clock clicking somewhere and the rain beginning to strike the roof in a funny, percussive way. The ground was moving in all directions beneath Niles’ feet. He knew he had to leave in a day or two and he, somehow, missed that family already. He also felt the urge to finally open up to Lucy and share the problems that were afflicting him. So far he hadn’t had a chance for Wheels had always been around. He had to admit that he had absorbed a very peculiar and interesting life philosophy from the guy, but his mother was still a much stronger source of wisdom and positive energy.

-"Niles…" She put out her cigarette.

-"Hum?" Niles sat at the table across from her.

-"Let’s take it from where we left off last night, shall we?"

Niles half smiled in satisfaction, happy that Lucy also found their conversations rather stimulating. -"Forgive me, where were we exactly?"

-"Did it really take 20 years?" Her face slightly skeptical. -"You know, for you to nail that woman?"

-"Babcock?"

She nodded. -"Babcock."

He proudly smiled at himself. -"Technically… 21."

-"Wow." She gaped her mouth.

He chuckled. -"Trust me, C.C. was just the sort of promise worth waiting for." He pulled his wallet out of his pocket. -"Here, I didn’t have it with me last night. Take a peek."

Lucy looked at Miss Babcock’s picture. -"Well, she’s gorgeous!" Legitimately surprised.

-"Isn’t she? Here is another one. I’m crazy about this woman, Lucy. I wouldn’t trade her for the whole world tied in ribbons."

-"I don’t blame you, she’s a knock-out!"

-"She is indeed. Her hair was born to be shaken in a shampoo commercial. She has a smile that leaves me ecstatic sometimes, a body to die for, and her voice is shaped, deep, toned, and sometimes erotic, particularly when she’s mad, or in the bedroom. It's this slightly throaty thing of night desire, you know."

Lucy fanned herself playfully. -"Easy boy…"

Niles chuckled. -"She has that effect on me."

-"And is she bright?"

-"Oh, absolutely! A little naïve sometimes, but extremely intelligent."

The old lady went silent. -"But if she’s so perfect, why are you here while she is there? Where again… Manhattan?"

Niles’ smile faded. -"Yes."

A long silence filled the room…

Lucy looked deeply into her new friend’s pensive eyes. There was something hurt about Niles. Even in his powerful outside, one sensed that there was something damaged, and perhaps forever spoiled, as though he were carrying some terrible burden. Yet, there was nothing in his surface to show what. There was a special aura of mystery that surrounded the hard working Butler. -"Niles?" She broke the silence.

He shook lightly. -"Yes?"

-"What’s wrong?"

-"Wrong?"

-"Yes, wrong. Come on, fill me in." She said supportively.

Niles sighed loudly then went on. -"She’s there because I needed some time alone. I’m…I’m here trying to find some answers, Lucy."

-"Answers…"

-"Yes." He bit his tongue hesitantly.

-"Go on."

-"One of the reasons why it took me so long to start a serious relationship with her…" He cleared his throat. -"…besides the fact that we were and still are very different - I buy the paper for the news and she for the social gossip…"

-"Chalk and cheese…" She nodded curtly. -"I get the picture."

-"Well, it’s also part of her job…"

-"Yes-yes, go on…"

-"Yes…" He smiled to himself, realizing he was avoiding the issue. -"Anyway, besides the fact that we were and we still are very different is the fact that for years my mind also had been focused on some unfinished business of mine."

-"Had…been?"

-"That is the problem. It still peeves me."

-"I see. Another woman?"

-"Women… Yes, they’re part of the thing."

-"Oh…"

-"No." He shook his head. -"It’s not what you’re thinking."

-"Well, then spell it out for me."

-"It’s hard for me."

-"Niles, I know people. "Unfinished business" is simply not you. Are you kidding me? You knew how to wait, to prey one particular woman, so to speak, for 21 long years. That shows, to say the least, an inhuman willpower to get things finished. Come on, clue me in! Don’t underestimate this poor old brain of mine. It still can come up with some pretty good answers every now and then. Give it a shot."

He smiled heartedly.

-"Besides, you are right, conflict has an emotional cost that sometimes remains after the battle is over. Win or lose, the scars may be with you for the rest of your life. People spend their lives focusing on the promotion they "lost," the business they "lost," the divorce they "lost," the project they "lost." This tunnel-vision keeps them gripped, locked in their own anger. They never get to "resolve" the real issue, and these unresolved conflicts are frequently barriers to a more satisfying and functional relationship."

-"All I want to think of, from now on, is my future life with Miss Bab…" He sighed. -"With C.C.. I want to get those other feelings out of my system for good."

-"I understand."

-"I don’t think you do…"

-"Niles, have you ever met someone who could not stop talking about what happened in the past? A person who constantly reference the event? The thing pervades his or her life as if it happened yesterday, although it took place ten, 20 years ago? People who get stuck in the past, cut off from the ability to fully participate in their own life? I tell you what, that was me for almost two years."

-"You?" Finding it hard to believe.

-"Yes."

-"Well, I don’t really talk much about it, but it sure completely saps my energy sometimes." The Butler added.

-"But you have to cross that emotional barrier. You have to let go of the position you have taken, whatever it is, and change it."

-"It’s not easy."

-"For most people this is not easy. It requires going against a lifetime of dealing with a divergent idea in the same way, over and over again. It’s like living in a trance."

-"It is. It feels like a trance sometimes."

-"Come on, open up! Sometimes through dialogue, my dear, even the most irresolvable conflicts can be worked out."

-"I don’t know, I’m very confused about my feelings. I don’t know what to think."

-"I think feelings and thoughts are temporary experiences most of the time. The bad thing about a low-mood feeling is that they seem so accurate that we are tempted to think we are seeing things the way they really are when actually they aren’t. It is as saying, "it’s going to be a long day." But a day has only 24-hours. It may feel like a longer period of time, but is it really or it is just the perception of things?"

Niles smiled in agreement.

-"Now tell me, what is afflicting you?"

-"To tell you the truth, my conflict starts with my parents. My mother is one of the two women I just mentioned."

-"Ugh, tough one." Lucy took a swig of her drink. -"But for your own good, my dear, forgive and forget."

-"I don’t know if I could offer my other cheek that easily. Besides, I feel as if God had turned his back on me for so many times that-."

Ironically. -"Ahhh, if God was really responsible for all that; a higher power, a loving being, a force behind the laws of nature. Let's sing about it, pray about it, feel good and sometimes bad about it, and go about our business. But it’s also important that we do our share. Besides, I’m not talking religion here."

He chuckled. -"Why, don’t you believe in God?"

-"Mm, some call it Jehovah, others Christ; you name it. I simply call it "God." Love, tolerance, compassion, humanity are some of my guardian angels."

-"How about going to church; do you?"

-"Nah…Especially that. In my humble opinion Niles, the world is at war mostly because of religion. Every time someone walks to me trying to argue that his or her god is better than mine, I turn my back and walk away, period. I’m not going to fight over God because I believe in God not a label. And this God I believe is to me the mightiest therefore he doesn’t need any other name than simply "GOD." These people’s gods are great; I’m sure, don’t get me wrong. But live and let live. If I don’t try to convert people, why should people shove their faith down my throat trying to convert me? This is not Bing Crosby’s fans against Sinatra’s fans or whatever new guys they have out there. We are not talking about sports fans either. That’s entertainment…" She sneered. -"Nor is this Republicans against Democrats, which is also another stupid thing because people should vote for the best candidate not for his party. If he happens to be from the party you like, good, but that shouldn’t come first. I’m sure there were wonderful candidates in history that would have made terrific presidents but they never had a shot because they were neither Republican nor Democrat. You know what I mean?"

Niles nodded. -"For the sake of the country, of course."

-"Exactly. But religion is killing people. It should be simply an extra guidance, an anchor, or peace of mind for the human race; an element of convergence not divergence."

-"I agree."

-"Most religions today have become more like "clubs," like a social experience. If you’re not part of that group, or you don’t believe in God according to their "books," then you’re not good enough! That’s why I don’t go to church, or temples…" She thought for a second. -"Take some very early societies for example. For them, the whole Earth was a sacred place. Our ancestors at some point in time saw the sacred in everything around them. What happened to mankind? No son, I believe you don’t have to go to pilgrimage to find your own sacred place. You don’t need to be inside a church or a temple to be in the presence of the god you believe in."

-"And what or who is the god you believe in?"

Thinking for a second. -"A cosmic intelligence…"

-"I see…That usually intervenes at the right moment?"

-"Precisely. Even when it seems to have forgotten you."

Pensively. -"I get you."

Lucy smiled. -"Anyway, back to the point…"

-"The point is…" He pouted. -"…it’s not as painful as it used to be, but the recent loss of a friend under the same circumstances of somebody I loved somehow made my wounds reopen. I thought time would heal what I felt but it didn’t. What do I do?"

-"Well, I’ll try to give you the straightforward answers that have always worked for most people but have just been buried in a deluge of pop-psych nonsense. There is a bunch of ineffective ways to deal with your pain. You can ignore it and act as if it was not there and of course it won’t go away. You can try to suppress it but it just comes out sometimes in some more negative way like…like colon disorders."

Niles let out a loud guffaw for he always made jokes about people in his family suffering from the same illnesses.

-"What’s so funny?" She smiled not getting it.

-"Pardon me, never mind. Go on."

-"Anyway, you can feel sorry for yourself but that usually makes things worse…and time…time only scabs over our wounds. It does not heal them. You have to deal with the situation that causes the pain and learn from those experiences. All emotions serve us. Sometimes a negative one is a call to action. I learned that when you feel frustrated for example, it is because you feel that things could be better and they are not. That tells you that you have to change things in order to make things improve. I haven’t done that all times in my life and it’s easier said than done, but things got a lot easier since I realized that it was up to me to change my approach toward pain. As the saying goes, you can’t do the same things again and again and expect different results."

Niles nodded.

-"To start with, you have to realize what you are really feeling. Is it hate, frustration, sadness, depression, distress?"

Deadpan. -"Anger."

-"Anger?"

-"Anger and blame. Instead of going about my business, I was riveted for years on the injustice done to Jacqueline and myself. I expend energy on my anger in addition to the loss I already had suffered."

Lucy took another sip of her drink then half smiled. -"You know Niles, platitudes aside; anger is a lot like a piece of shredded wheat caught under your dentures. If you leave it there you’ll get a blister. If you get rid of it, the sore heals and you’re ready for another bowl."

-"Anger is like a piece of shredded wheat…" He frowned incredulous. -"…caught under your dentures?"

-"Hey, you want poetry you read Frost, you want good advice listen to Sophia Petrillo from the "Golden Girls," that’s where I "stole" that from."

Niles chuckled in his baritone tone.

The lady joined in curtly. -"Anyway, you also mentioned blame. I need some more help here. Let’s start from the beginning, will you. Who was Jacqueline, the other woman from your past?" She emptied her glass and got up for a refill.

The Butler briefly nodded and groaned inwardly realizing he might as well let it all out soon.

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C.C. made a beeline for a bottle of Chardonnay in the fridge, by the light from inside she filled the glass to the rim and took a few sips so she wouldn't spill it. She had a headache that could kill a horse. Another day went by and not a single word from Niles. She shut the door so the room was dark again. Moonlight shone through the terrace window, and bounced off her cocktail table. -"Where is he?" C.C. rocked back and forth in her seat. She stared into that glass of wine as if it was a crystal ball. -"Where are you, Niles? Where the freaking hell are you, you despicable son of a-…? Why don’t you call? Why don’t you-…?" She stopped in frustration, closed her eyes, and propped her head against the window frame.

```````````

-"So they both killed themselves, Jacqueline and more recently Eric." Lucy asked conclusively.

The Butler nodded absently.

-"I’m very sorry."

Niles took a long gulp from his Coors Light and added under his breath. -"Me too." His eyes troubled and vague.

-"But again my friend, you ought to go back to England and-…"

-"Lucy, you just don’t get it, do you?" His voice went up in volume and impatience.

-"Niles, cut it out, will you!" Her voice went up in the same tone.

-"I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude."

-"You are not being rude you are being stubborn. The hell with manners right now! It’s not what I mean. It’s just that for the past half hour I’ve been listening to a bright, charming man, crying out his troubles as if he were the only living soul on the surface of the planet to have them. You became a totally different man when you started talking about what happened to Jacqueline. You sound weak and helpless. That’s not the guy I was introduced to over a week ago. Good Gracious "lad," you just showed me the picture of a gorgeous creature that is head over heels about you. Your eyes spell desire and lust for life when you look at her pictures. You also mentioned friends who I bet are very worried about what’s going on in your life right now. You have parents in England who I’m sure love you, but barely heard from you in 20 something years because you decided to punish them for all that happened. I bet they learned the lesson already and if they had to do what they did all over again they wouldn’t. Or perhaps they would, of course never knowing what the outcome would be. Who knows? That is not important. The important thing is; that is past. There are people who kill their present trying to keep their dead past alive and that’s what you’ve been doing. But you know what? Healing those wounds won’t be an insult to the memory of Jacqueline; you mourned her enough. Stop continuously living your life based on the deceased yesterdays. You are financing that old life with the life that you should be living today and that is not fair to you, not fair to your parents, your friends, and especially to the woman you love."

-"I know what you are saying."

-"I hope you do."

-"One can become really addicted to his wounds."

-"Yes. Well put. That’s exactly what I mean. So drop the drama, Niles. Stop shuffling your "if" deck of cards, go back to London, make up with your parents and spend the rest of your life being happy and making happy the woman you chose! You said I don’t understand? What, suffering?" She laughed mockingly. -"For starters, how about my stepfather beating my brothers and I constantly when I was a child? It got worse when they got fourteen and left our place. I was the only target."

He narrowed his eyes at her. -"I’m sorry to hear that."

Ironically. -"Wait, there is more. That was just the beginning." She sighed loudly. -"Just three days before my "sweet" sixteen, that man had a stroke and was confined to his bed for the rest of his life. I hated to see my mother slowly decaying from working so she could take care of a jerk who didn’t deserve it. So ten months later I got married just to get out of their house. I was lucky to fall greatly for my husband afterwards, but I wouldn’t mind going to college before I could raise a family if it weren’t for the pressure of leaving my mother’s home." She looked about. -"Well, it worked out fine. Philip and I had only one daughter; I was twenty, he was twenty-five at the time. We had very little money, but we managed to raise our child to become a great dentist and she gave us two wonderful grandchildren."

Niles was confused. Up until that point Lucy had never mentioned her other child. And if the daughter was her only kid…?

-"Keith came later." She could read his face. -"Actually, he’s my stepson whom I adore as if he were mine."

He nodded silently.

Her eyes suddenly moistened. -"It was a Thanksgiving. My daughter Martha, her two girls and the husband were coming to spend the holiday with us. A drunk driver…" She hesitated. -"He killed them all. Two months later my husband Phil, passed away. He couldn’t take it."

-"Oh my…" Niles let out almost inaudibly.

-"I was 47 years old. The loss of my whole family was a wound that would not heal, something I would never really get over. I spent almost two years complaining, referencing the event, but, with time, I was able to make it through the days. I then decided to move to New York and start college. What do you know? There I met a wonderful man, he was a professor in his fifties, divorced, and I married him after I graduated. For a fistful of years we were so happy. I had a family again and that helped to ease the pain. So all of a sudden, my stepson who was in the Army was sent to Vietnam. That’s where he lost his two legs." She dried the tears in her eyes. -"At the heavy fighting at Ia Drang Valley, in '65. He was 26 years old."

Niles’ stomach churned.

-"Wheels, as he nicknamed himself, had a wife who dumped him after he returned home. She couldn’t stand the sight of him. Speaking of suicides, he tried to kill himself twice but survived. And then, he too got adjusted. He found a great girl at the hospital he used to do his physiotherapy. They got married a year after his divorce."

-"Ethel?"

-"Ethel."

-"And if I may ask…" Hesitating. -"Who are those two gentlemen?" He pointed at a couple of pictures on the wall.

She bitter smiled. "Those were my twin brothers, Leonard and Larry. They were also in the military, they also died young…Pearl Harbor."

The Butler felt a pang in his heart. -"…and your second husband?"

Lucy sighed. -"He passed on ten years ago." A short silence then cheering up. -"And after that I had a bypass operation, I suffer from diabetes, I’m 93 years old, and I’m still hanging on. In spite of Pearl Harbor, my best friend is a Japanese lady, I live off my paintings, I enjoy short walks, and swimming in the lake. I’m a country girl. My parents came from England, but I was born and raised in Wyoming. I tell you son, indoors don’t suit me. New York is behind me. I like to see clear and far off. Horizons, mountains…"

Niles stared at Lucy for a long second. That woman before him had gone through so many discontentments along the years that her profile made the sad scenes from his life feel like a soap opera. If she had managed to retain a singular, insistent, optimistic stance, why couldn’t he? He smiled. -"You are fantastic."

-"Nah, it’s just that after a while you learn to see the bless in the mess. I enjoy life, that’s all." She smiled curtly then went serious again. -"We should delight in the precious moments we are given, son. After all, we are not getting out of here alive."

Niles nodded pensively.

-"And don’t say, "I’ll deal with it tomorrow." You’d be asking for a tough night's sleep. I know. I had my share of sleepless nights." She giggled spontaneously. -"Take action." She whispered the final last words.

All of a sudden Niles’ personal drama felt a lot easier to bear. All the numbness had left, the fog had cleared, and he discovered a profound sense of peace that he hadn’t experienced in years.

He glanced at his watch. "Take action," she said? All the decisions that had to be made were taken. He looked at the hour again as if making sure his calculations were right. Yes, if he were fast enough he would be able to make it in time…

```````````

Fran stretched to reach the top shelf of the cabinet and tugged at her little bit of skirt, trying to keep her rear covered.

-"You don’t have to bloody do that." Max winked at his wife.

-"Maxwell Sheffield!" She let out in feigned outrage then came down the stepladder. -"Be a mensch then and find me the box of Godiva that I hid there."

He rolled his eyes. -"Allow me." He put the ladder away.

-"Since Niles left this house the place has been a mess." She added under her breath.

Max shifted jars of garlic, salt, onion powder, and other seasonings to no avail. -"Are you sure it is hidden in here? I can’t find it."

-"It didn't fall into his outstretched hands, he’s completely clueless." She muttered then added dramatically. -"Oh Niles, where are you when I most need you!"

-"Sweetheart, you know I owed this to the man. Besides…Here." He proudly handed the box to his wife.

-"Ooh…Thanks." She snatched it from his hands then gave him a peck on the lips.

-"You’re very welcome." He mirrored her kiss gladly.

-"Besides…" She quickly took a bite of one candy then went on overlapping his thought. -"…Miss Babcock is going fruity again."

-"She is not." Annoyed.

-"Okay, she is not, but she’s going back to her bitchy-self lately, if you get my drift. We need Niles." Beat. -"Why is it that a two-pound box of candy makes a woman gain five pounds?" She swallowed another one.

The sound of the wind rattling the doors and windows promised a long and stormy night.

Maxwell sat at the table with Fran. -"It’s going to be a cold night."

-"Want some hot cocoa before bed?"

-"I want more than that actually." He thought for a second. -"I’m ravenous, Fran."

-"Ravenous, huh?" She let out sensuously then offered him the box of chocolate.

He ignored her joke with a lukewarm smile. -"No, thanks. How about one of those detestable concoctions Niles stocks up for the kids?"

-"Not just for the kids..." She jumped up and opened a cabinet filled with "prefab food." -"Ramen Noodles, sir?"

-"Ah, yes. What a splendid idea! So many preservative packed delights…"

-"You don’t need to be sarcastic."

-"I mean it." Supportive. -"I have my junk-food days."

-"You? Ha!"

-"I neither expect nor solicit belief." He darted ironically.

-"Okay. What flavor then?"

-"Just, surprise me, will you." He breathed loudly. -"And you are right, darling, I’m not quite being sarcastic, but I confess, I am a little upset with all that is going on. The new play, Niles gone for this long, C.C. driving me crazy to bring the man back." He shook his head. -"I don’t know what irritates me more, the return of her regular sense of humor - none - or the ridiculous attempts to conceal the fact that she wants him back."

-"Ohh…Isn’t that sweet?" Fran sat on Max’s lap then changed the speech. -"Anywho, it’s two against one; I want him back too. Where is Jeeves anyway?"

-"You asked me that before, Fran. I don’t know."

Distrustful. -"Boy, you guys really bond, don’t you?" She saw the water boiling and went to stir his noodles.

-"Anyway…" He abruptly changed the subject. -"…Those rubber babies crying in the middle of the night are also driving me insane. Sarah and I went through three children without coaching. You as an expectant mother also need the rest, my love. You ought to-…"

-"Say no more, sweetie. I sent the Dummy Twins back over to Doctor Reynolds’ sister this morning."

-"For Heavens, it was time already!" Under his breath. -"Now I only have to worry about the big ones."

-"What’s that?"

Max leaned back in his chair casually resting his ankle on his knee. -"Call me paranoiac if you will, but I’m concerned about Brighton, Fran. He doesn’t seem very enthusiastic about going to college."

-"I’m sure it’s the pressure. How does Gracie call it again? Pa-pe-per…Oh, yeah, I think it is Performance Anxiety. You know, the papers, the interviews, we expecting so much from him. He will be fine."

-"I hope you are right."

-"Now, who are the other big ones?"

-"One…" He side glanced at Fran. -"Margaret."

-"Maggie! Why?"

-"I don’t know. She seems awfully serious about this fellow, Michael. First - the pregnancy; false alarm. Praise The Lord! Then, they almost ended up living together. What will be next, marri-…?" Midway he stopped very suddenly. -"Good God!"

-"Jeez, it’s not like he would drag her to live in a belfry at Notre Dame, Max! And what if? I mean, you won’t be able to keep her in a glass-dome forever, honey." She placed his plate in front of him; silverware and napkin followed.

-"Thank you."

-"Besides, that is not a problem. A wonderful guy like him is usually the solution. What parents in their right minds wouldn’t be thrilled to have their daughter involved with a handsome, promising kid like him?"

He chewed on his food and added between bites. -"Did you know that she wants to sell her Audi and buy a Beetle?"

-"Wha-?" She frowned at his awkward change of concern. -"Oh, she wants to buy a new car. Only she doesn’t want you to pay for it."

-"Really?" He asked proudly. -"She said that?"

She smiled. -"That shows you how mature and responsible your "little girl" has become."

Beat. -"But a Beetle?"

-"That from a guy whose Porsche’s bumper sticker reads, "MY OTHER CAR IS A ZAMBONI"?"

-"Brighton put it there. And that’s completely different, darling. Every red-blooded hockey fan would love his turn behind a Zamboni’s wheel. But a Beetle?"

-"What’s wrong with the Beetle?"

He sneered. -"Such a dinky little car."

-"Oy, remember Goldie Hawn driving her yellow convertible in "Foul Play"? Way cool! My dream-car back then."

-"Those were the seventies we are in the 90’s!"

-"Well, I have news for you, the-Beetles-are-back!" To herself. -"Why doesn’t this sound right?"

-"And what’s with those flowers on their dashboards?"

-"It’s a trendy thing, Max. You know, the "Flower Power"? How about you? Didn’t you have a moped? Why, you couldn’t afford a Honda or a Harley?" She asked ironically.

-"No, because I liked mopeds."

-"There you go."

-"Well, that and because my father wouldn’t let me have a real motorbike. But mopeds were a huge fad among my friends at the time."

-"Same with Beetles among hers, mister Strawberry Sheffields Forever."

He chuckled. -"Right you are again. Besides, Beetles and Audis come from the same factory, only different makers."

-"Whatever." She smoothed back the hair of his temples. -"Just stop turning hang nails into ER episodes. You begin to sound like Ma’."

He forced a smile. -"I have been "awfullizing" things a tad lately, haven’t I? It’s just that, every time I get near a new opening the name Frank Bradley starts haunting me again. I just hope he’s merciful this turn. Have you seen the way he massacred my last play?"

-"Don’t mind him, honey. He just repeats like a parrot, what everyone else is saying." She blurted out.

He gave her a scathing look.

She laughed. -"I’m teasing you! And C.C. is the one with no sense of humor? Oy! You’re "awfullizing" again." She kissed his cheek lightly. -"Our "Yetta’s Letters" will be a hit, trust me."

He drew back to look at her face, lifted his eyebrow, but was not able to refrain a grin. -"I wish I had your confidence on this one."

Bragging. -"Honey, my past success as a theater producer -…"

-"Darling, you know that Niles was the one responsible for digging up and putting that play together."

-"Yes, but it was my idea to steal your names." She quickly cleaned the table putting the dirty things in the dishwasher. -"We would go nowhere without your names."

-"Was it also your idea to leave my company a quarter of a million dollars poorer?"

-"Okay, bad example."

-"Of course I won’t forget that you also made me half of a million dollars richer in that shady deal with Rodney, but-..." He smiled to himself.

-"Meanwhile, I have a strong feeling about this play. It’s original, it’s clever, and Andrew Lloyd Webber hasn’t got anything new coming up. I believe he wanted to rent the "49<sup>th</sup>" to save the spot, you know, just in case."

-"No, I’m bloody sure the man did that to rub it in when he heard my previous play had closed. "

-"Maybe. But I bet the kibbutz he will blow his top when the "Letters," which could be his play, becomes your show, your hit, your Tony. He-he-he!"

-"You know what?"

-"What?" She broadly smiled.

-"I love you…" He scooped his wife into his arms and proceeded upstairs.

```````````

Niles arrived in Manhattan at dawn. The rhythm of the traffic combined with the in a sense monotony of the scenery had a soporific effect on him. Twice he caught himself about to doze off. ‘Coffee time,’ he thought, looking for the next service plaza. In minutes he felt again able to tackle anything…He smiled to himself thinking of what or actually whom he intended to tackle next.

He introduced his key into C.C.’s front door lock at about 7 AM. Her apartment was all quiet inside; the blinds were down. No signs of a living soul around except for a nearly drained wine glass sitting on the cocktail table.

The Butler tiptoed across the floor and suddenly feared when he remembered that Chester used to make a fuss when he first started dropping by without announcement. Luck seemed on his side because he spotted the fur-ball at the opposite end of the hallway, they exchanged glances and the dog didn’t make a peep.

-"Come over here, little fellow." He whispered then clicked his tongue.

Chester approached waggling his tail.

-"Got accustomed, have we?" He patted the dog's head shortly and chuckled when Chester lay on the floor and rolled on his back. -"Ah, as spoiled as his guardian." He scratched his tummy. -"There, there. Happy?"

The pet didn’t move, seemingly absolutely comfortable with Niles’ presence. -"How is she by the way?" The man stood up and took off his coat. -"Did you take good care of our little hellion?"

The dog rolled over again and sat there watching the Butler kick off his shoes.

-"Did she miss me?" He insisted almost inaudibly.

The animal made a small sound.

-"She did?" Niles neatly deposited his things inside the closet, his socks followed. -"How about you? Did you miss me?"

Chester waggled his tail again.

-"I missed you too." He jested, as he paced around the room barefoot and unbuttoning his shirt.

The dog then went to the kitchen probably after his water or food bowl. But in reality, it felt as if he was telling the Butler that he’d been stalling, wasting time, delaying the inevitable... -"You noticed?" Niles mumbled to the dog that was already gone. He recognized that he had been gone for over a week and C.C. would not be happy. -"Alright, I might as well face the music." He walked resolutely towards the Blonde’s room.

For a second he could not place himself; the darkness disoriented him. He pressed fingertips to his forehead, focusing, until recognition dawned.

-"Oh…" He lowly gasped. -‘I know this scene very well.’ He added in his thoughts.

C.C. was sleeping in the nude. With the silver satin sheet drawn around her waist, her bosom uncovered, she reminded him of a beautiful piece of Neoclassic Style. He saw her bathrobe hanging on the edge of the bed and something that seemed to be a nightgown on top of her dresser. He concluded that she might have fallen asleep right after having showered. -‘Unusual.’ He smirked. Except for after when they made love C.C. wasn’t quite fond of sleeping undressed. Despite becoming quite comfortable when they were intimate she was still very peculiar about her body. He recalled making fun about that once. -‘It’s not like you lived in California and had to run naked to the street because of an earthquake. Besides, you only go through the changes at the full moon.’ He smiled feebly; one night on the couch taught him not to antagonize that particular trade. Besides, her favorite "gown" had recently become the shirts to his pajamas - no complaints about that.

He closed the door - not wanting Chester to be part of their intimacy - then crossed the room and sat on the edge of her nightstand, staring lovingly at her sleeping form, his eyes now grown accustomed to the silver-blue darkness. -‘What a darn lucky man I am.’ He thought.

She slowly moved and placed her hand above her head. The sheet worked its way down, revealing a little more of her body.

He felt his arousal growing and had an idea. Reaching out, he ran a finger across her skin barely touching. It reacted instantly showing goose bumps around the area. He grinned victoriously and then quietly lay down beside her.

She sighed happily.

He nipped lightly at her earlobe, and then kissed her nape, being careful not to wake her.

-"Nil-…" She whispered not finishing the name.

Leaning over, he gently blew on her breasts making her nipples stand out immediately. -‘She’s dreaming of me…’ He thought in wonder.

A slight smile of contentment crossed her lips.

He looked along her belly to her chest then at her dreamy eyes again; reached down and ran an intent hand between her thighs.

She sighed heavily and her dream induced a huge grin.

He watched her smile of pleasure with great pride, but his sure hand promptly stopped. One side of him wanted to have fun with his Sleeping Beauty, but his other side felt that it simply didn’t seem right. Their relationship was based on reliance and all of a sudden he felt that if he went any further, without her consent, she might be offended. His C.C. could be wild in bed, but she was also full of scruples. If there was any sign of disrespect, he would lose weeks of hard work trying to strengthen her trust in him. No, he couldn’t afford that. She was obviously enjoying it, but if never before he took any advantage of her when she was inebriated; he wouldn’t start now just because the whole concept was hard to resist. -‘Cool off, buddy! You’re a man not a teenager.’ He thought.

She suddenly reached down and let a hand glide up between his shirt and his muscular back. His primitive side was trying to regain control of his physiology and he had mentally vowed not to give in. Niles breathed deeply, and tried carefully to break away from her; she moaned in frustration.

He bit his lip feeling his resistance at its lowest ebb. -"Scotty, beam me up! Circuit overload!" He whispered inaudibly while vaguely drawing circles around her bellybutton.

She unconsciously reacted to that and pulled his body more snuggled to hers.

He sucked the air through his teeth. In a desperate attempt to remain calm, he pulled the sheet up her body, covered her naked beauty, placed his head on her stomach, and shifted his thoughts to the ingredients for his Italian Fried Potatoes: ‘Two pounds russet potatoes, peeled, Two cloves of garlic’...

She seemed to have stopped for a second, but the minute his body was making progress, she re-started by stroking his head. C.C.’s hands had now a mind of their own. One of them had sunk fingers in his hair, the other wandered up and down eagerly kneading the muscles in his back. He groaned inwardly. In other circumstances that would be rather soothing, but in that case he felt everything but relaxed. Niles gave her a little shake… Her "attack" seemed different, however, he could tell by her breathing that she was not yet truly conscious, but she was no longer dreaming. He felt somehow guilty for forcing her out of her dream; but that kind of experience would have to wait until she finally Okayed "the concept."

The Blonde faded in and out, her hands directed with strained attention to his shoulder blades.

Niles braced himself up for his woman would be awake at any moment now.

C.C. yawned lowly and suddenly realized what was happening. She was very upset with the fact that he had disappeared without a word, but also grateful that he had finally returned safe and sound. She didn’t dare to move just yet. She just marveled at the luxurious feel of her lover resting his head on top of her, not fully aware that he was actually not asleep. Her hands started working their magic again, moving about his shoulders then running up his nape and hair…

Niles smiled in perfect peace.

She kept her eyes shut during the time her hands sensually wandered. However, the second they reached his face, all hell broke lose. It all happened too fast. The Blonde muffled a scream and began to kick about like a wild filly. Niles realized he was the target of that stormy reaction for she concentrated all her strength on attacking him. He wanted to protest verbally but her first blow hit him square between his cheek and jawbone. She couldn’t see exactly where or who to hit but before he could regain his power her feet, knees, and hands had precisely found his body a few times. He then got a firm hold of one of her hands but the free one reached out for anything she could grab, found the cordless phone, and hit him hard over the head. A heavy crystal ashtray followed missing Niles’ skull by the proverbial cat’s whisker. In pain the Butler got caught nestled in the sheets, lost his balance, and fell off the bed with a loud thud. -"Oww!"

Miss Babcock jumped off the bed to the opposite side, wrapped herself with her robe, and was about to run for help when she suddenly froze at the familiar voice. -"Niles?!" She asked in panic.

He groaned in pain.

-"Niles, is that you?" She insisted reassuringly.

He choked back a nasty insult and instead mumbled, "I bloody hope so or I’ve got somebody else’s underwear," through gritted teeth.

She broke into laughter and walked rapidly to her nightstand lamp. When the light flicked on, she squinted, and shaded her eyes from the brightness before she took a peek.

-"Are you off your cauldron, woman?!" He rubbed his knee easing the pain.

She couldn’t stop laughing.

Upset with her mockery. -"No, you really lost it."

She swallowed hard and tried to conceal a smile. -"Lost what, Beulah?"

Niles rolled his eyes.

She broke into laughter again.

-"Doggone, C.C., what the devil happened here?!" This time he sounded furious.

Her smile faded. -"Besides the fact that I was ready to print your picture on milk carton boxes?"

Ignoring. -"I meant in this room, you nut!"

She bit her lip embarrassedly. -"Your beard."

-"What was that?"

-"You let your beard go!"

-"Oh…" He touched his face. -"And for that you nearly shatter my skull into pieces?" He ran a hand against his scalp checking for blood.

-"I-I-I…" She stuttered then spoke very quickly. -"I’m sorry, but I couldn’t see anything in the dark. When I touched your face it scared me to death, it never occurred to me it could be you! I got confused not really understanding what was going on! I was half-asleep. Besides-…" She stopped and blushed.

-"Besides?" He crooked smiled, enjoying her annoyance.

-"Not important." She disguised.

-"Are you sure?" He grinned victoriously and added in a baritone tone. -"You sex craze."

She realized he knew about her dream. -"I hate you!" She let out unconvincingly.

-"Oh really?" He walked quickly over to where she was standing and took her body in his arms. -"What else do you hate?" He asked looking her in the eye.

-"Bananas, when they’re spotted and soft." She said almost out of breath.

They smiled at each other before their lips met. His tongue softly flickered over her lower lip. She moaned - a quiet, breathy moan. They stayed like that for a while, enjoying that they could kiss, finally feeling what they’d only been able to dream for over a week. The kiss lasted a long while before Niles slowly pulled his head away from C.C.’s, teasingly drawing her tongue with him. She shoved him lightly, pulled his body tightly to hers, and looked at his face inquiringly.

He wrongly interpreted her gaze. -"I’m sorry, my love." He broke away from her and walked to the bathroom.

-"What?" Her face puzzled.

-"If I had known it would bother you so much I would have wasted a few more minutes before I hit the road last night." He checked his face in the mirror.

-"Bother? Who said it bothers me?" She smiled at his reflection. -"It’s a bushy beard that conceals most of your features, but still, it makes you look sexy."

-"It makes me look old."

-"Older, it’s true. But still, very sexy." She purred.

-"Oh, cut that out." He looked for his shaving stuff.

-"I’m serious!" She added devotedly. -"It hides my favorite chin, the dimples when you smile, and that sexy muscle that shows when you lock your jaw tight. But this beard makes you look very handsome in a different way." She held him from behind and watched him.

-"The "different way" is what worries me." He mumbled.

-"Nonsense." She combed his hair with her fingers and watched him. -"You look great."

He wondered for a second and added sternly. -"Say what you will, but it will have to go." He located his things and placed them on top of the long counter.

-"What if I asked you to keep it for a while?" She whined merrily.

He lifted his eyebrow. -"Don’t do this to me."

-"Why?" She smiled.

-"It wouldn’t be appropriate, my love. You know, because of my work."

-"Maxwell wouldn’t mind."

-"I would mind." He darted conclusively. -"Butlers and facial hair don’t mix in my book." He removed his shirt and dropped it inside the hamper.

She checked him out in silence.

-"What?" He inquired while trimming his beard with scissors.

-"You also lost weight."

-"I was swimming everyday in very cold waters."

-"I thought you hated cold water."

-"I do. But it also kept me alert; crisp."

C.C. almost ignored his statement. While he took care of his beard, she washed her face; in the twin sink, brushed her teeth and hair, and wrapped the bathrobe more tightly around her waist. They kept in silence all the while.

Niles sensed that C.C. seemed somehow apprehensive about his return. Conversely, C.C. couldn’t believe that Niles could act as if that week had never happened: neither one being able to truly understand each other’s misgivings.

Niles’ beard was reduced to a stubble when C.C. first spoke. -"Niles, what is really going on with you?"

He spread the shaving cream on his face and started shaving swiftly. -"I beg your pardon?"

-"You should!" C.C. let out loud.

-"Should what?" He asked puzzled.

-"Beg for my pardon!"

He shook his head. -"Look Babs, you did this for 20 years and you’re doing it again. But don’t mess with me today. I drove for seven hours to catch you before you went to work this morning. The first-…." He smiled curtly. -"…the second thing you did after I jumped in bed with you was to act like George Foreman. Now, if you intend to go on with this any longer I would very much appreciate if you gave me a very strong analgesic because my head is about to EXPLODE!" His voice went up in volume.

She snarled to herself then opened her medicine cabinet furiously. -"Ibuprofen, Tylenol, Aspirin-…"

-"Whichever, just make it double, please." He rinsed his blade and ran it against the other side of his face. -"Ouch…"

-"Did you nick yourself?" Worried.

-"No." Deadpan.

She filled a glass with water. -"What then?"

-"Somebody smashed really hard that "sexy muscle that shows when I lock my jaw tight." He widely closed and opened his mouth a few times.

-"It serves you right!" She gave him two medicine capsules.

-"This ought to help." He swallowed them with a gulp of water. -"C.C., I understand that you might be upset because I was away for a few days, but-…"

-"A few days?! You call almost one and a half week "a few days"?"

-"Oh, climb off!" He dried his face with a towel. -"You’re blowing this thing out of-…"

-"I’m blo-…? Excuse me!" She shot him a glare. -"Niles, while you were happily swimming in very cold waters so you could be alert and crisp…" She mimicked his words in an ironic tone. -"I was going out of my mind worried about you!"

-"I was not happy! I -…"

Ignoring. -"I had no clue where you were, if you were sick, if you were dead. Max wouldn’t tell me anything."

-"He didn’t know much."

-"Seven hours driving you said? Where the hell were you?"

-"In Maine." He said with stiff lips.

-"Ooo, Maine, huh?!" She darted in the same ironic tone. -"And doing what, if I may ask?"

He narrowed his eyes at her. -"I thought I told you."

-"Oh, reeally? So let me refresh your memory. No, you haven’t told me! You simply walked out of this place that day showing no regards for my feelings and disappeared for over an entire week not saying one single word; and you know it!" Her tone going up with every accusation.

-"What about my letter?"

-"What freaking "letter"?"

-"Haven’t you read the message I left for you here?"

Annoyed. -"No…"

He became aware that he might be in deeper trouble than he imagined at first; his face showed.

-"What, Niles?"

-"Did your house cleaner come immediately after I was here?" Pensively. -"She could have misplaced it."

-"Niles, my house cleaner comes on Fridays. You were here on Saturday. If I were to find any message from you I had to find it on Sunday. Don’t lie to me, it doesn’t wash! You are trying to screw with my head and this time it won’t work!"

-"Listen Babcock, I haven’t been "screwing" with that thing that you call head for weeks now! If I’m telling you I wrote a letter, it’s because I wrote a letter, damn it!" He furiously walked back to her room. -"Now where did I leave that thing?" He looked about. -"Ha!" He snapped his fingers. -"On top of your nightstand." He took a short peek under the bed then tried to look behind the piece of furniture in question, but it was part of her massive, queen-size bed set.

-"Wait a minute, you placed it there?" She asked troubled, gently pushing him so she could have a look.

-"Yes. I wrote a long letter before I left that day and I placed it there leaning against the wall!"

-"Oh shoot!" C.C. tried to peer behind the thing to no avail.

-"What?"

-"I remember now that somebody called me and woke me up that day. Before I could reach the phone I knocked on something that fell from the top of the stand."

-"What was it?"

She smiled feebly. -"I don’t know, I was asleep. But I guess it could-…"

-"That does it!" Niles interrupted her as he moved the whole bed set in one strong pull.

She finally could look behind the block of furniture. -"Huh-oh…"

-"Found it?"

-"I think so." She caught two pieces of paper folded together.

-"Let me see." The Butler quickly pushed the bed back in place then made a lunge snatching the papers out of her hands. -"Yep, these are the ones, alright."

-"Niles!" C.C. reacted unhappily and struggled trying to retrieve them from him. -"Hand them over!"

-"In your dreams!"

-"Niles!" She tried to reach them but his arms were longer. -"That’s my letter!"

-"You said I hadn’t written it, didn’t you? Perhaps I didn’t!"

-"I take that back! Now hand it over."

-"No way!" He was about to rip them in two when he saw her very frustrated face in the mirror.

-"Niles, you have no idea what I went through since the day you disappeared. I reiterate, I didn’t know what had happened to you and I had no one to share my feelings with. I apologize for not trusting you at first, but I believe I deserve some explanation after all I suffered."

His stomach gave a leap. -"I believe you are right." He turned around. -"I guess it would be best. It’s yours, my love. This letter will explain everything." He handed the pages back to her, kissed her face lightly, and walked back to the bathroom. -"I’ll quickly jump in the shower." He closed the door behind him.

-"Okay." She whispered, wondering why he didn’t want to be around while she read that message. She unfolded the pages carefully, sat on the edge of her bed, and hesitatingly began to read his handwritten lines.

C.C. giggled nervously.

C.C. vaguely shuffled the two pages in her hands a couple of times before she finally recovered from the shock caused by the words she had just read. Those lines explained and somehow justified his behavior the night he heard his good friend Eric had taken his own life. Sixteen… His beloved sister was only sixteen when she did the same, leaving scars of resentment for as long as her man could remember. For a moment she tried to put herself in Niles’ position and imagine what that event could actually have meant to him. A man who would go extra lengths to make sure the people he loved - or even strangers sometimes - would be cared for. A man who always asked very little for himself and very frequently put his peers in the first place. -‘Selfish…’ She thought. -‘Again, I’ve been so selfish and a fool. Here I was imagining all sorts of things…' She wandered about her room. She had a thousand questions to ask him but didn't know which to ask first. In fact she didn’t have any idea what to do, what to say, how to comfort him. -‘Comfort him. That’s obviously what he needs…I guess…or at least…’ She stared at the closed bathroom door for a split second. -"…Or at least he needs to know that I’m here for him." She dropped the pages on top of her bed and slowly walked into the bathroom.

-"Niles?" She whispered. Her gaze lingered on his virile body through the steamy glass of the shower stall.

No response. He had his hands propped against the wall and his back to her; the water running full power on the nape of his neck.

C.C. bit her lower lip as she let her robe slip down her body. The scene was highly erotic, she had to admit; those broad shoulders, the mass and sinew of the muscles in his arms… back… thighs... and a tight behind that-…She choked back a laugh that turned into a bitter smile when she recalled what she was supposed to do.

The glass door slid open quietly and she stepped into her spa without being acknowledged. Despite the little tan that he had acquired from his little trip to Maine she could see how red his skin was from the water. -"Ouch! Dang Niles, this water-…!"

He pressed his chin to his chest and held it there.

-"…this water is steaming hot! You’re gonna-!" She made sure some cold water would mix in the pipes.

No physical response except for a low growl and a "some like it hot," mumbled in protest.

She smiled at his reaction. -"I’m serious, you could have hurt yourself. I know your darn head is thick as a brick but the rest of you is still-…"

He rolled his head from side to side a couple of times.

-"…human." She watched him for a moment. Aside from his shampoo left open on the edge of the tub, the soap remained untouched on its cradle. She hesitated to touch him for a second…another second…then climbed under the warm spray and wrapped her arms around his impossible-to-resist-body. His lungs inflated with contentment which she mistakenly interpreted as annoyance.

-"Perhaps I shouldn’t-…" She was about to step out but one of his arms held her hands firmly around his chest. -"Stay?" He asked. -"I like the feel of you." His voice filled with affection.

She one more time snuggled against him and rained kisses on his shoulder. -"That makes two of us." Her hands moved freely and easily on his wet skin.

He moaned.

She reached out for the soap then hesitantly put it down again.

He then heard her squeezing the shower gel, lathering it up in her hands.

To begin with, she washed him like a mother would a child, behind his ears, down his arms, under his arms, all with C.C. Babcock-like efficiency. But her nipples kept catching against his back and he surrendered to her ministrations in happy anticipation. -"Mmm…this feels incredible." His voice reverberating in the confined space.

-"Don’t get used." She made large horseshoe strokes over his abs; starting at his upper thigh, traveling across his stomach and then down to his other thigh, awakening that entire erotic zone.

-"How much do you charge for the month?"

Her hands slid up his front with even more intent; obliging each of her favorite muscles till they finally arrived at his tight shoulders; massaging them in the way she knew he liked. -"We could trade favors." She muttered sensually, slowly rubbing her soapy hands up and down his back and neck, gently kneading all the worries away. He couldn't imagine a greater bliss. Her perfectly firm strokes caressed the stress of the journey from him. He closed his eyes in delight. -"Consider it bloody done, woman." Mirroring her tone.

She laughed throatily.

He curtly mimicked her laugh then went silent again.

-"I’m so sorry." She whispered in his ear.

-"I’m okay now, my love." He watched her soapy hands briefly devote attention to his buttocks then gently stroke his gorgeous thighs, using two hands on each, taking them between her hands, feeling the power they possessed, imagining them wrapped around her. She shook her head and shifted her thoughts back to the subject. -"You know Niles, by not confiding in anyone, you allowed yourself to feel responsible and guilty for something that was beyond you." She gently moved up, just brushing past his semi-erect member, to his stomach, then ran her hands around his chest with no further intention than bathe him this turn.

-"It wasn’t clear to me then…"

She stepped back to watch the water cascade over his body. He turned around and rinsed himself down for a few seconds; C.C.’s face not able to conceal her desire.

He read the look on her face. -"Your turn now."

She stopped his hands before they reached her and looked him deeply in the eyes. -"Honest Niles, you have no idea what I’ve been through since you left."

His face turned hard for a second and his gaze was as sharp as a scalpel. -"You have no idea what I’ve been through since I was 26, Miss Babcock."

C.C. didn't respond. She regretted her words and her face spelled that. She just gave him a vacant glance then lowered her eyes. -"I’m-…" Her voice came out in a whiny squeal.

-"Shh.." His whole face seemed to melt and once again he became gentle. -"No, I am…" His voice no longer had its edge. -"In your ignorance of the facts you did nothing but worry about me." He dragged his fingers through her wet blonde hair and pulled her head to him. -"…and I love you for that."

Their lips met and they kissed tenderly, lovingly, knowing true contentment in their touch. The warm, abundant water, the heat-soaked environment, and their slick skin; all adding a new dimension to their lovemaking.

Niles pressed against the Blonde for some sexy snuggling under the shower stream. Putting some soap to work on her this time, he ran his slippery, sudsy hands over her back and butt. She moaned against his mouth then wrapped one of her soapy legs around his and swiveled her body up and down. Their kiss became fiery. He caressed her inner thighs, stopping short of her center; the tease driving her crazy; driving both crazy. C.C. felt the pressures of her breasts mashed firmly against his chest and his manhood aching for her now.

-"How I longed for this." His mouth burned a path down her throat; his arms wrapped around her body in a foamy embrace.

-"I missed you so much." She conceded almost out of breath.

The sensations he repeated with deft, tender touch made her want to drag him down and make mad, passionate love to him; when-...

R-R-RIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNGGGGGGG!!!!!

-"Darn it!" She muttered between his lips.

-"Let it ring!!" He protested feeling her drifting away. -"Let the answering machine do the job."

R-R-RIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNGGGGGGG!!!!!

She jumped recalling. -"It’s not on!" She was out of the cubicle in the blink of an eye.

-"Goddamn, C.C.!"

R-R-RIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNGGGGGGG!!!!!

She wrapped the robe around herself and tied the belt. -"We’re in the middle of a production, Niles! It might be important. It will be only a minute…"

-"Watch your step! You’re all wet!" He heard a malicious laugh coming back from her room and smiled broadly getting the unintended joke.

-"Hello…! Hello?! Oh, great! Who the f-..?" She growled at the phone. -"Niles…I need-…" She saw him come into the bedroom toweling off. He walked quickly over to where C.C. was standing and took her body in his arms, pulling her back against his chest. -"I know what you need."

She throaty laughed again. -"You do?"

He got rid of his towel, gently took the phone out of her hand and hung up. -"I do."

Her hair was damp and seductively disarrayed. He rubbed the robe against her shoulders and breasts before he got it almost off her, pulling her arm through one hole and letting the fabric drag making her belly quiver as her pleasure mounted. -"Chalk up another victory to Niles, the Mind Reader." She mumbled.

He chuckled.

She barely had time to switch the answering machine on before they eased onto the bed. She tried to get clear of the rest of the robe but he wouldn’t let her; he wanted her in half of that garment. -"You're so beautiful. I’m drawn to you." The breath from his words sending a thrill through her.

He leaned over and kissed her fierily, she slipped her tongue equally hungrily into his mouth. His hand moved to her nape and delicately stroked it, playing with the soft, wet hairs at the base of her neck then poised briefly at her shoulder before it slid achingly slowly towards her breast. Just when she was drifting into a dream state, he pulled away, leaving her longing for more.

His body ached for her, but he wanted her gently this time, not the rampant sexual deviant style they both enjoyed so much. Their usual sexual frenzy would have to give place to a kind, slow lovemaking for a change.

She interpreted his hesitation as fatigue.

-"You must be exhausted, Niles." She murmured stroking his wet hair away from his temples. -"Did you drive in the rain for seven hours straight?"

-"I pulled up to a rest-stop for a quick break and some food and then I started out at dawn again." He kissed her stomach lightly. -"And here I am."

-"You are crazy, you could get yourself killed."

-"Please, I’m an excellent driver!"

-"That’s exactly what Maxwell said just before we skidded off the road that night in Massachusetts!"

-"C.C., Mr. Sheffield has less time as a driver than I have as a juggler for the Cirque du Soleil. I am a professional, remember? I passed with flying colors at one of the most acclaimed protective driving schools in the world; which also happens to be in Massachusetts."

-"The "Scotti," I know, I know."

-"Driving under unusual conditions, high speed driving, vehicle dynamics and car control were all my favorite subjects."

-"Ah, the good old testosterone! I know you are a terrific driver, Niles! Every freaking dignitary in our Broadway community knows that!"

-"So, don’t compare my driving skills with the ones of a man who always hired somebody else to take him to places; moi-myself included."

-"What can I say, it’s lonely at the top, but you eat better. The man has the money; let him pay whoever he wants!"

-"I lost count of how many transitions he blew before I could finally teach him the stick." He mumbled.

-"Okay, okay! I recognize that there are a number of things that you’re better at, than the guy!"

-"Plenty!"

-"Plenty." She agreed.

-"Much better!"

-"Flawless!" She granted.

He calmed down and forced a groggy smile.

-"Well, excuse me! I didn’t mean to hurt your male pride comparing you to Maxwell. Besides, he hates driving!" She sneered.

He pouted. -"Exactly. Conversely, I enjoy it very-very much. It soothes me…"

-"Really?" She smiled cheekily at him.

Child-like. -"Yes, madam."

She bit her lip and studied his face.

-"What?"

-"What else soothes you, Butler Boy?" Her heaving breasts inches from his face - he could feel their warmth.

He grinned, a big broad sly grin. -"Miss Babcock, you’re just like a German Autobahn, you know that?"

-"Meaning?" Her smile froze.

-"I can go any speed I like, but I can never go back."

Instead of a protest, she moaned and shook over his expert lips and fingers as they quickly caressed all reason out of her brain.

She adored having sex with Niles not only because he was physically able to kick her over the edge but also because he knew her so well. He would always match her mood. She could arouse him easily or just make him talk - or for that matter - do both. He could be romantic; marked by expressions of love and affection, or talk acid, shameful, funny things.

With great tenderness they made love. Niles was slowly and deliberately building her desire, working her up until he knew she was ripe for the harvest. His hands were languorously traveling over her, softly, softly but…-‘G-d, what a touch!’ C.C. thought. Her breathing got heavier as he moved his lips down her body, kissing her torso, stomach, then parted her thighs…

She practically whimpered with arousal. Her pulse started speeding and she began to feel dizzy as his warm breath continued to tease her. Her body began twitching involuntarily when she looked down and saw him gazing at her, his piercing, blue eyes glazed with lust as he saw how much he turned her on…

R-R-RIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNGGGGGGG!!!!!

C.C.’s body jolted lightly and her head fell back onto bed. -"Nooo…" She let out dispiritedly.

-"Oh, crap." Niles cursed through gritted teeth and then muttered another angry expletive.

The phone rang again and they stopped to listen. Years of different levels of duty attached to telephones prevented both from having sex to a ringing phone.

-"Miss Babcock, this is Fran. You are not the only one bouncing off the walls because Niles is gone. Max is driving me nuts! He wants to know if you reached a decision about the girl who’s going to portray Yetta. Meanwhile, are you coming or not?!" Click.

A split second of silence…

-"I’m trying to." C.C. mumbled under her breath.

The Butler rolled away from her and burst into laughter.

-"Niles, what are you doing? We’re making out and all of a sudden you stop? It wasn’t that funny, come back here."

Trying to regain control to no avail. -"I’m sorry my love, but I don’t think I can." He was flat on his back staring at the ceiling; his laugh even louder.

She straddled him. -"Niles, I’ve been over a week seeking for…" She thought for a second then smiled mischievously. -"…for my Vitamin M. I better have it before I get to work or I’m not responsible for my acts."

-"Vitamin M, huh?" He arched his brow at her.

-"Yes." She said coquettishly.

-"Going out again with Fran, have we?"

-"Admit it, it’s a good one."

-"Mmm…" He curtly nodded. -"As long as you keep using my brand."

-"…As long as your "vitamin" keeps me stimulated."

-"Apparently it does, for the lack of it seems to keep you "bouncing off the walls"…"

She narrowed her eyes at him. -"The confident bastard."

-"I beg your pardon?"

She covered his mouth with hers.

Fully aroused, he shifted positions, rolling her onto her back again and levering himself onto her. -"You taste of fresh mint." He broke their kiss for a moment.

She clung to him and took his hot mouth again with her probing tongue. -"And you of an excellent espresso. I think that’s what is keeping me awake."

He chuckled. -"Oh, so that’s what is keeping you awake?" He interlocked his fingers with hers, denied her his lips, and watched her excitement grow. -"I see."

Her body quivered at the tone of his voice and she let out a loud moan of protest. -"I want my "vitamin" with my coffee."

He smiled but ignored her plea. Burying his head in her chest he entered her again. She gasped and her breath deepened as she gripped his hands very hard.

He moved slowly, resisting the arching exhortations of her hips. His breathing roughened at the impressions her naked body was making against his.

-"Niles, I got to get ready for work; otherwise Maxwell is going to chew me out." She barely managed to mumble trying to conceal her thrilling demands.

He simply grinned at her closed eyes. -"Nice try, Babs. But I won’t rush things."

She let out a tormented groan. -"This is tort-.." Agony building up inside her.

He looked over his shoulder and checked the time. -"According to your VCR you are already half an hour late." He poked her with a sadistic smile.

-"Oh, shoot." Her face contorted in sweet pain.

He stopped for a second to watch her, just to realize that nature had finally won. -"Besides, nobody chews my baby but me." He started rocking now with a primitive rhythm; the sexual tension growing thicker and thicker until his tempo built into a final paroxysm of shuddering release.

Her fingers left his hands and clawed him, lightly raking his shoulders and back. Only then did he allow her to pull him down and grind his hips against hers as she wanted. Seconds after, she stretched, and her body clutched in ecstasy to the man causing it. Her head leaned back in one violent motion, and she stiffened under him. Her climax so intense it was silent.

Their ultimate ecstasy ripped through their bodies, leaving them lying together in a post-orgasmic glow. Perceiving Niles reaching his peak in perfect sync with hers made her extra satisfied. She melted under his protective weight; loving the feel of her skin against his.

He closed his eyes for a few seconds, feeling fully relaxed for the first time in months. -"Oh, you are also perfect for my metabolism, I must say."

She giggled.

-"I thought you were in a hurry to leave." He asked ironically.

-"Not that; exactly…" She muttered in contentment.

He smiled crookedly.

-"Niles…" She hesitated.

-"Mm?"

-"About your sister…"

-"Later, Babs." He squeezed her lightly. -"I promise."

-"Okay."

-"But I’m alright now."

-"That’s good." She kissed his head tenderly.

Purposely changing the subject. -"Anyway, I need to drive my car back to any branch of the rental. I’ll give you a ride first."

She played with his hair. -"Niles, I’ll pay for the extra day, but please take the day off and rest."

He sighed loudly. -"I must admit that the idea sounds rather appealing. But I don’t need you to pay for the extra day."

She nipped at his earlobe. -"Stop being such a male."

-"I didn’t hear you complaining a second ago."

-"You know what I mean." She whispered. -"You risked your ass driving for hours like a madman just to be with me. Let me pay back the favor."

-"You already did." He lightly pinched her rear.

She moaned. -"That was mutual. That doesn’t count. Come on, what do you say?"

-"We’ll discuss that on our way to the mansion, my love. Right now, I believe we need to shower again, and I’ll shave myself properly this turn." He jumped out of bed. -"Come on." He pulled her up and tossed her over one of his shoulders.

-"Oo, how impetuous!" She dramatized.

-"That’s me. By the way, what did you need after all?" He walked in the bathroom.

She smiled at their image in the mirror. -"You already gave me."

He chuckled. -"No, I mean when I pulled the phone out of your hands."

-"I have no idea. You completely made me forget." She slid her hands down, pulled herself against him and kissed his back.

He put her down on her feet and held her wrists tight. -"Miss Babcock, you better behave in that shower or you are really, really, really getting late for work today."

She throaty laughed and he joined her in the same tone.

The day started very gloomy but the sun finally came out putting the past rainy days behind them: literally and metaphorically.

Grace opened the front door and C.C. barged into the living room displaying a grin that went from ear to ear. -"Good morning, Grace!"

The Little One stared at the Blonde with her mouth gaping for a split second then silently walked out the door closing it behind her.

C.C. ignored the girl’s reaction. -"Hello-hello, everyone!"

Fran mirrored her smile. -"Good morning, Miss Babcock. Boy, do you look gorgeous today!"

-"Well, thank you. You don’t look bad yourself, Fran. Max I’ll wait for you in the office."

-"C.C., you are late." Max darted impatiently.

-"Sorry about that, Big Ben. But I had my reasons. I’m late because… Because… Because a day without sunshine is like night to me. I get depressed… I overslept." She disappeared through the hallway without further explanations.

-"Yeah, right; depressed." Fran mumbled under her breath.

Maxwell frowned.

She threw her hands to the air. -"Halleluiah!"

Max blinked a few times and had the same vague facial expression as his daughter seconds earlier.

-"You don’t get it, do you?" Fran asked her husband.

-"I haven’t the foggiest clue and I desperately hope you don’t start with any of your meshugah theories." He was going after Miss Babcock.

-"Max, Niles is back!" She said as if in a state of grace.

He stopped dead in his tracks. -"How the devil do you know that?" He lowly inquired in astonishment.

-"He-llo! First, she got our daughter’s name right. Then the hair."

-"What’s wrong with the hair?" Max complained.

-"Nothing. But it was out of the shower and blow dried. She usually uses the straighter…" Under her breath. -"…Not today."

-"Oh, for Pete’s sake." He shook his head.

-"I’m telling you! I wouldn’t be surprised if Niles stormed in here with his hair damp."

-"That’s nonsense!"

-"Is it? How about that glow? That is not from Arden, Clinique, nor Lauder. She’s screaming from every pore, I got laid! And I tell you, very well laid."

-"Thank you, Doctor Phil."

-"Wanna bet? I know. You give me that same glow."

He softened then got to his senses again. -"You flatter me, my darling. But I don’t think you can possibly tell that easily." He showed her a twenty-dollar bill. -"One Jackson that you are wrong?"

-"I won’t wager less than a Grant."

-"Fair enough." He waved her fifty. -"I’ll take that bet. Two Jacksons and one er...er...and a Secretary of the Treasury

that you are wrong." He played defiantly.

Not a second later, Niles burst in carrying his belongings. -"Hi, people!"

Max’s mouth dropped.

-"Niles!" Fran ran to the Butler.

-"I didn't do it." He jested.

She giggled. -"Oh, is it raining outside? Your hair is WET!" She said the last word and shot Mr. Sheffield a funny look.

Max felt the urge to swallow the bills.

-"No…" Niles muttered. -"I, er…"

-"Oh, I see by your close shave that you must be coming from a barbershop." Fran felt guilty and decided to fix her own indiscreetness.

-"Yes. That’s it. I, I, looked awful."

-"I see." She kissed the friend on the cheek. -"Smooth…" Meaning something else.

Niles gave a feigned smile. -"Thank you."

-"And where on Earth were you, anyways?"

-"Maine."

-"Maine?"

-"Maine."

-"What is this, echo? Here, let me help you, old man." Max offered.

-"Oh, don’t bother, sir."

-"I’ll help him, honey. We can schmooze while he unpacks."

Niles half smiled. -"Careful, this one weighs in the vicinity of 50 pounds."

-"Oh my-…" She dropped it to the floor. -"Boy, you probably have enough stuff here to conduct electrolyses and open-heart surgery at the same time."

-"That coming from Miss Nightingale herself! I remember the things you brought back from the hospital after you had your tonsils removed."

-"There goes the butler with a total recall again." She muttered. -"Welcome back!" She merrily shook him.

-"Yes, welcome back, old chum." Max mumbled still in shock.

-"Thank you." Niles said warmly. -"It’s good to be back, sir." He picked up the bag from the floor and added apologetically. -"Mrs. Sheffield, I’d like to schmooze later, if you don’t mind. I had a very strenuous drive and I would like to lie down before I unpack."

-"No, go ahead, honey." Fran patted his back.

-"Take your time, my friend."

-"Thank you. If you’ll excuse me." Niles ran upstairs.

-"Didn’t he "lie down" enough already?" She mumbled.

-"Fran." He cut her.

She turned around and walked victoriously toward Max. -"Now you, mister." She snatched the bills he uselessly tried to hide in his hand. -"Eat your heart out!"

-"You are amazing!" He gathered her into his arms. -"You are bloody amazing!"

-"You betcha…" She jeered.

-"How about some of that glow later?"

-"Mm, baby you are better than Botox …"

-"Not a wrinkle of a doubt." Max jested.

-"Prrr…" She kissed him.

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