Author’s notes: This story is loosely based on one of the most wonderful movies ever written, "The Philadelphia Story". If you know the movie I hope you will have fun with the obvious parallels and some interesting variations… if you’ve never seen it before, maybe now is a good time to go out and rent it…

The Moon in the River

by

CB
(cbrady_equilife@msn.com)

CC was aimlessly pacing her bedroom, from the little balcony that was overlooking the driveway of the house to her dresser and back to her bed. She knew she was forgetting something, something George had asked her to pick up on her way home, but she just couldn’t remember. He would be here any minute now, and on their way to the country club he would ask her about it, and she would have to admit that she couldn’t remember… great. She grabbed her sweater and left the room to join her mother downstairs in the sitting room. Think CC, where were you when he asked you…the groomer… uh, Chester, I almost forgot!! She flew down the hallway stairs.

"Mother?"

"I’m over here, dear," she heard her mother’s voice from the sitting room.

She found her mother standing in front of a long table covered with wedding gifts, staring at something in her hands with great curiosity.

"What in the world do you suppose this is?" BB wanted to know without looking at her daughter.

"I don’t know. Can you pick up Chester from the groomer, and on your way back, stop at the dry cleaner and pick up my dress for uncle Willie’s party? George will be here any minute and we’re…," She stopped in front of her mother, now rather intrigued with the thing her mother was holding, herself. "…already late. What is it?"

She took the mysterious thing out of her mother’s hands and started to play with it.

"Could be a hairdryer of some sorts…" BB said, not really convinced herself.

"Without a power cord?"

"Battery operated?" her mother gave it her best guess. They looked at each other and shook their heads, both at the same time.

"What about the two handles?"

"Must be quite the hairdryer…"

"How do you turn it on?"

"Who the hell knows." CC put the thing down and briefly glanced at the pile of wedding gifts around her. What are we supposed to do with all that stuff??? A casserole dish…??? Somebody presumes I’m cooking. Probably some sick joke from Maxwell. Who else in his right mind would send her a… CC hesitated for a second, but shook her head.

"What is it, dear?"

"Who sent us a casserole dish?"

Her mother approached the table.

"Well, let me see here…there was a note with it. I saw it just a second ago, somewhere… oh, what did I do with it?" She started looking through a pile of wrapping paper and wedding cards but with little enthusiasm, and CC nervously checked her watch.

"Never mind the note, mother, can you pick up Chester or not?"

" I think so…here it is. No, wait, that’s the note from your father. He doesn’t think he can make it to the wedding. He is in Japan…"

"With that dancer, I presume…" CC snorted while reading another one of the many wedding cards without real interest.

"She’s a choreographer, darling. You of all people should know the difference…and she is your father’s fiancée."

"I do know the difference between a fiancée and a cheap tart."

"CC you’re talking about your father!" her mother reprimanded her in a sharp tone of voice but CC just rolled her eyes and threw the card back into the pile.

"How can you stand there, read his stupid little excuse for a wedding card to me and defend the man?"

Her mother did not answer but started to rearrange a beautiful set of silverware that her uncle William had sent over the day before yesterday.

"Mother? Sometimes I think you’re sorry he left you."

"I left him." Her mother corrected her and took a deep breath. "And I’m not sorry. We Babcock women are never sorry, we’re…"

"…we’re lonely," CC suddenly said, and her mother looked at her in surprise. CC smiled a tired smile and reached for her mother’s arm.

"Maybe we just have to face the fact that we don’t make very good wives…," BB acknowledged but CC shook her head.

"We just picked the wrong first husbands, that’s all," she corrected her mother and stopped in front of the thing again. It couldn’t be a hairdryer…it’s huge…

CC pulled away from the table to face her mother again.

"And the second time around is going to be perfect, I promise," she added.

"Are you sure?" her mother wanted to know and searched her daughter’s face for any sign of insecurity. CC met her probing glance with a radiant smile.

"Absolutely. I don’t know what the hell possessed me to say yes the first time …"

"And neither did anyone else."

"I know, I know. Niles was…" The casserole dish was all that CC could think about at this moment. That and the smell of freshly baked lasagna on a rainy afternoon in New York…

"George is a darling, isn’t he?" BB changed the subject. She had never made it a secret that she had despised Niles. CC marrying a butler! Pah! She had known from day one that CC was making a terrible mistake, but she was her mother’s daughter, and she had to find out for herself…

"Yes, he is," CC said slowly and had to pull herself away from the sudden wave of pleasant memories. She turned around to face her mother again. "And he is rich and handsome and …remind me again why he picked me?"

"Because you’re his equal in every way, child."

"Right. And because he’s securing his 25 million dollar investment in father’s company…" CC added with a smile. It didn’t even bother her.

"That too," BB admitted and CC just shook her head.

"You have a way of making a person feel better that’s simply unparalleled…. And I think I just heard George’s car drive up…I’ll see you later. Don’t forget the dog!"

"And the dry cleaning, I know…" BB said with a sigh, looking back at the hopeless pile of paper before her. ‘And the invitations, the flower arrangements, the dresses for the bridesmaids…’ so much work still ahead. And yet she was excited. Well, as excited as any Babcock woman would ever allow herself to be…after all this was just a wedding not a company merger. And yet, finally a son-in-law that she could drag around and show off at her shareholders’ meetings. Finally CC had come to her senses. And how hard could that be? Hell, twenty years ago she would have run off with George herself. Twenty years ago… She would have given her entire fortune to do it all over again, the last twenty years, all but her diamond ring and that fabulous emerald set Stewart got her for her thirty first birthday that was…

"Did you pick up the flowers, darling?"

Flowers, that’s it. How could I forget the flowers, damned! Today was his secretary’s birthday, and he had asked her to pick up some flowers and a card, but that was just before Chester had jumped out of her arm, and she had to put the phone down to chase the little bugger all over the grooming salon. Flowers, how could she forget??

"The flowers…?" CC was trying to win a moment or two, smiling at him through the opened car window.

His secretary was supposed to meet them at the country club to bring him a contract to sign, and he wanted to give her the flowers. She looked at her watch. They were already late.

"Actually I did buy the flowers…and I brought them home and put them into the sink, so they would stay fresh, and then Louise came in and…"

"You forgot the flowers," George interrupted her and looked at her over the rim of his sunglasses. CC tried a radiant smile, but it was completely wasted on him.

"CC how often do I have to tell you to write things down?" he asked in a rather matter-of-fact voice. He wasn’t mad, not even upset. George never got upset, he simply started lecturing. He loved to lecture… "Simply take a minute and write it down and then you won’t forget."

"Yeah, but then I have to remember where I put the note…"

"CC, I am serious. Last week you forgot to pick up your sister from the airport, and Chester would still roam Griffith Park if I hadn’t called you before you left the Observatory…You must try to be more focused, darling."

She got into the car next to him and stared at the man who she was about to marry in less than a week. You must try to be more focused…yeah right. You try to stay focused with one soap opera in production, a movie in development, a production meeting almost every day and a wedding coming up, and we’ll see how focused you will be, mister!

"It’ll get better, I promise," CC said with a demure smile, and he took her hand and kissed it gently.

"I have no doubt about it."

CC sat back in her seat as he pulled out of the driveway and made it a point to look into the other direction. How was your day…

"How was your day?" George asked exactly as predicted as he drove down the street. CC sighed. Where should she start telling him what her average day was like? Calling potential investors, chatting for hours about their stupid kids and their ridiculous achievements… How would he know what it was like, laughing about their lame jokes and pretending the aging gigolo on the opposite side of the table could still have a chance with her, if he’d only come up with that check today…? George had never worked a day in his life. He probably considered playing tennis in a muddy court on a rainy day work…

"Busy," she said instead of a detailed report of the crazy day she had behind her, and he really did not expect her to say much about it anyhow. He couldn’t have cared less about her petty little problems. When George C. Lee roared the world listened.

"Hmm. David Rosenberg and his wife invited us on a trip to Catalina on their yacht. What do you say we go after we come back from our honeymoon?"

"I hate water."

George laughed his charming society chuckle, and CC noticed that his dimples formed a perfect little arch around his sensuous lips. Oh, he was a handsome devil; tanned, with dark full hair that showed just the right amount of gray around his temples, and a smile that could blind a polar bear… There wasn’t a woman around that didn’t envy her, and yet she had no idea what George saw in her. It wasn’t her money, that much was certain. George had more than ten times her bank account, not to mention his investments. No it wasn’t her money…

"I can see you and David will get along just fine," George finally pulled her out of her reverie.

"Why, does he hate water, too?"

"No silly, but he has your sense of humor."

CC smiled. Nobody has my sense of humor… The thought of Niles making her slide off the couch in Maxwell’s old office crossed her mind and wiped the smile right off her face. He had my sense of humor, but not much else. Niles. What in heaven made her think of Niles a couple of days before her wedding to a handsome, rich and very influential socialite? The casserole dish…?

"…and you can jump out and get the flowers. CC are you listening?"

CC looked at him and grinned.

"Good idea, " she said and leaned over to kiss him lightly on the cheek. She didn’t have a clue what he was talking about.

Fran and Niles were sitting outside a little café in Brentwood, going over a detailed menu that Niles had carefully put together for the upcoming event. It was a lazy summer afternoon and Fran was glad to have her old friend around again for a change. It had been a while since he had last accompanied the family on a trip to Las Vegas. Come to think of it, that was last year’s Fourth of July…

"Oh sweetie, she will be thrilled, I’m sure. And you will absolutely adore her. She’s sooo your type."

"Yes, but she is the one getting married, remember?" Niles remarked with this dry tone in his voice that she had missed so much over the last couple of months. She slapped his hand and sat back to look at him. He looked healthy and tanned; a fact that brought out the mesmerizing blue of his eyes even more than usual.

"You look good," Fran suddenly said.

"I feel good," he admitted, and it sounded sincere. He sat back in his chair, closed his eyes and enjoyed the sun caressing his face.

"You mean you don’t miss ironing Max’s underwear…?" Fran wanted to know, and he smiled again without opening his eyes.

"That’s a tough habit to break indeed."

"Tell me about it. Are you seeing anyone?" she suddenly changed the subject without any warning. She was still busy dissecting the chocolate croissant in front of her.

Niles did not answer her right away, as if he wasn’t sure what to say. But she could tell he was uncomfortable with the subject by the way he suddenly sat up in his chair and looked at her.

"Well, are you or aren’t you?" Fran was merciless as always.

"No," he finally admitted, put his glasses back on and reached for the paperwork in front of him. "Can we get back to the wedding? We have everything prepared for about 300 people, that’s the last count you gave me…"

She nodded and licked the tips of her fingers before she picked up the croissant and started to roll it around in her hands.

"Sounds about right, 300, and all from his side, of course."

"She doesn’t have any family?"

"Yeah, but they don’t come out until after dark…" Fran mused and Niles raised a warning index finger.

"Now, I thought this woman is a friend of yours."

"She’s a business associate of Max’s. I guess I could call her a friend in a strange kind of way…" Fran pondered while a small stripe of chocolate filling found its way over her chin. Niles pointed at her chin and Fran wiped off the chocolate while she sent him a disarming smile. "Happens all the time," she laughed with slight embarrassment. "I’m glad you agreed to take this job."

"I don’t see why not. We have catered weddings bigger than that. I just don’t understand why you didn’t ask your sister?"

"Oh, Nadine is pregnant again, and she doesn’t do much of anything these days, and anyhow, you’re my best friend, and it’s your business, and I thought it would be fun working with you again…Niles, I really miss you."

"I miss you too. You and Max and the children…" Niles said and a strange shadow rushed over his face. It wasn’t all about her and Max and the children, of course…

"Why don’t you come around more often? You know you’re always welcome."

"Yes, I know. It’s just…business is good, and it keeps me busy. There’s a lot to it, running a successful restaurant and a catering business, you know."

"Sure, but that’s not what’s keeping you away from us."

"Then what is?" Niles asked without looking at her. He knew the answer as well as Fran did. Only he had no intentions of going there right now…

"The fact that CC is still living next door."

Bull’s eye!

"Nonsense. CC and I…"

"… haven’t talked a word since she got full custody of your daughter last year."

"At least she gave me visitation rights."

"Yeah, before she sent her off to some fancy preschool somewhere. Niles who are you kidding?"

He closed the menu in front of them and looked provocatively at his old friend. Yes, who am I kidding? You tell me.

"I didn’t come here to talk to you about CC. As a matter of fact, I prefer to completely erase this disaster of a marriage from my memory."

"You can’t erase Janie…and I don’t think you would want to." Fran said slowly.

Niles sighed. He started to shift nervously from one side of his chair to the other. The subject of his daughter was obviously more than uncomfortable for him, and Fran almost regretted that she had brought it up. Almost…

"No, of course not, and yet…I wish she didn’t look so much like her mother."

"Oh, it could have been worse. She could have come after your side of the family," Fran said with her mouth full of croissant and finally made him crack a tired smile.

"Is she home right now?" he suddenly asked.

"You know, I have no idea. Why don’t you come over for coffee one day this week and we…"

"It won’t work. Forget it. Back to the wedding. Can you find out if we need to consider any vegetarians?"

"Sure. And I want you to meet the bride…my friend. Before the wedding. Can you come over on Wednesday?"

"Fran!"

"You don’t have to go next door just because you happen to be in your old neighborhood…"

"I won’t."

"Good. Have it your way. Nine in the morning?"

"Ten and no tricks."

"Tricks? What tricks? My tricky days are over and you know it. I’m a married woman now," Fran kept on talking and Niles watched her with sincere affection. He did miss her. A lot. And he did miss his daughter, but after their ugly divorce there was little left to say to her or to CC. Her mother had gotten full custody of the child, and he had decided it was much better for all of them if he stayed away.

"…and with the twins and all…" Fran was still talking, when he started to get up from his chair. "And where are you going, mister?"

"I thought we were done."

"Do I look like I’m done?" Fran asked, chocolate smeared all over her chin and the rest of the croissant still in her mouth.

Niles was looking around the entry hall with a wistful smile. The interior of the house hadn’t changed much from Maxwell’s residence in New York. The same furniture, the paintings, the mirror facing the main entrance…I always hated that. Sure this was LA and the palm trees framing the front door were kind of a dead give-away…but when he had entered the house it had been like walking straight back into the past. There was something comfortable about it, too, something so familiar… so safe. Maxwell’s new butler, Thompson, had opened the door and ceremoniously showed him in. He felt strange and out of place, at least being in Maxwell’s house.

"May I take your coat, sir?" Thompson asked, and Niles couldn’t help but smile.

"Thank you," he just said and took off his light summer coat before he handed it to the butler.

"No, thank you, sir. I will let Mrs. Sheffield know that you’re here." Thompson sounded like he had something stuck in his zipper and his walk supported Niles’ theory as he watched him disappear towards the end of the hallway. God, did I look like that? No wonder she never took me seriously…

He almost jumped when the doorbell rang. His first instinct was to go and open the door, but he smiled and looked down the hallway waiting for Thompson to return and do his job. Only he didn’t. The doorbell rang again…and again, more impatiently this time, until Niles couldn’t help himself. He turned around and opened the door.

"Hello, hello, anyone up yet?"

CC was reading the morning paper, holding it with one hand and her jacket with the other. She carelessly threw the jacket at Niles as she walked in without taking her eyes off the paper.

"What’s for breakfast? I’m starving… and can you move the car when you go to get the milk…?" She reached into her pocket and handed Niles the keys without looking up.

"Why don’t I wash and polish it while I’m at it…" he said, and CC took one more step before she suddenly froze. She had already passed him when her eyes finally widened in disbelief.

"What’s the matter? He doesn’t give you the same service…?" Niles wanted to know and actually unfolded her jacket and started to gently straighten it out. She never did take the time to fold her clothes properly… CC grabbed the jacket out of his hands and glared at him.

"Stop that. What are you doing here?" she wanted to know harshly. Seeing Niles so unexpectedly had taken her by surprise, but she was damned if she’d admit to it.

"You know, sometimes when I see you in all your loveliness I can’t help but wonder what took me so long…to divorce you." He said and threw the car keys back at her.

"Divorce me?" CC laughed her deep throaty laugh and took her sunglasses off. "You divorce me? Funny as ever, Mr. Benny…"

"Not that you’re interested, but I am actually here on business," he changed the subject and looked at her. She looked fabulous. Trim and radiant in her tan pants and crisp white blouse. Looks like you’re doing all right for yourself there, baby…

"What, are you running out of my money already? It’s only been, what…?"

"A year, five months and fifteen days, but who’s counting?" Niles said suddenly very seriously and CC stopped herself from making another biting remark. She looked at him for a second before she brushed a spot of dust off her trousers.

"Not me. Seems like it was only yesterday, if you ask me."

"Yes, but I didn’t," Niles said, "…ask you. I didn’t have a chance, because you had just left for Madrid when your attorney served me with the divorce papers."

"Is that what happened? Well you know, I was always wondering why the house felt so empty after I came back. Something seemed to be missing, but I just couldn’t put my finger on it…"

"Bitch," Niles hissed before he could suppress it. He should have said it a long time ago, he would have felt better all these years…

"Loser."

"Not exactly, I walked off with a healthy chunk of your bank account."

"Now who’s counting?" CC hissed and was just about to turn and leave the house again, when Fran came down the stairs with a broad smile on her face.

"Ahhh, I see the two of you already finished your first round. Good. Ready for a short break and some refreshments on the verandah?" She stopped in front of them and looked from one to the other. Both CC and Niles were speechless for a moment.

"Good. Then we can talk about the wedding," Fran continued, took both of them by the arm and started walking toward the outside terrace, where Thompson had already set up a light brunch for them.

"You must be completely out of your mind," CC said without turning around. She stood with her arms crossed over her chest staring aimlessly into the beautiful English garden of Fran and Max’s house.

"I agree," she heard Niles say behind her and turned around on her heel to send him a sharp glance.

"YOU agree? That’s a joke, right?" CC turned again to face Fran this time. She was beside herself with anger. "I mean the whole thing is a joke…Niles catering my wedding. What the hell were you thinking?"

"Me?" Fran asked innocently.

"Oh yeah right, I forgot. That alone is an oxymoron…" CC started pacing the cleanly cut edge of the lawn.

"For once—and you will never hear me admit to this again—CC is right. This was a bad idea, Fran," Niles agreed with his ex-wife and earned another reprimanding glance coming from her direction.

"I just don’t see what the two of you are so upset about. You…," Fran pointed at CC, "…have a wedding in three days and need a caterer. You…" She pointed at Niles. "You have a well-known catering business and really don’t need this job, but you took it anyhow, so…never mind. Where were we?"

"This isn’t just a job we’re talking about, this is…the mother of my daughter is getting married, and you…" Niles started to say, but CC didn’t even give him the courtesy of letting him finish his sentence.

"Talking about your daughter, when was the last time you came over to see JJ?" CC interrupted him and pointed her finger provocatively against his chest. He looked at her finger barely touching the soft fabric of his shirt.

"Can we finish one set of insults first, before we go on to another?" he wanted to know and raised his hand to push her finger into another direction. The feel of his skin against hers made him shudder, and he was hoping CC didn’t notice. But of course she did.

"What’s the matter? You’re losing your touch?" she wanted to know much softer than expected, and when she looked up Niles met her wondering eyes. God I miss the sound of her voice, the deep blue of her eyes, even her insults…

"I don’t know, why don’t you come a little closer and we’ll find out..." he offered, but she broke the spell of the moment and pushed him away.

"Maybe in my next life," she offered and started pacing again. "You are aware of the fact, of course, that it’s as good as impossible to find another caterer with three days left until the wedding…"

Fran looked at Niles and winked at him with two thumbs up but he just rolled his eyes and shook his head, before he looked back at his former wife.

"Oh, I don’t know, there’s always Subways…" he said, now slightly amused.

"My point exactly."

"So where does that leave us?" Fran wanted to know. Their normal training pace was a little too fast for her at times.

"George is going to kill me," CC muttered more to herself while plucking a helpless rose off its stem.

"Now that would be a good start," Niles pondered and smiled at Fran.

"Can you just shut up for a minute? I’m trying to think here…"

"Don’t hurt yourself." He ducked when CC threw the rose at him and the poor flower just hit the ground behind him.

This could have been the moment for Fran to realize that these two were absolutely made for each other, but then it was a hot summer day, and she was already sleepy from shopping at Bloomingdale’s all morning…

"Maybe you’re both right. Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea…" she admitted.

"You think?" CC wanted to know but hesitated when reality got a better grip on her. There wasn’t a caterer in the world that would have taken on a wedding of this proportion in less than three days. She was pretty much stuck, and she knew it. Worse yet, Niles knew it, too.

"So darling, refresh my memory…what did you special order for your wedding cake?" Niles suddenly wanted to know, and CC started to fume again. This was without the shadow of a doubt the most infuriating man she had ever laid eyes on. What in the world had made her think she could live with him???

"Ok, buster, you win. This time. And this time only, remember that." CC said and reached for her purse. "And you…" she pointed at Fran, "we will discuss this later." She opened up her purse, fished out a very elegant business card and threw it at Niles. "Here, cater boy. That’s the address."

Niles didn’t even have to look at the card before he nodded.

"I know. I used to live there, remember…?"

"Yes, unfortunately. Be there tomorrow at one, and we’ll go over the details…"

"Excuse me? Did I say I am going to do this job? Fran, did you hear me say anything about…"

"Oh, cut it out. What else do you want?" CC wanted to know half over her shoulder. She was already on her way to the hallway.

"That pound of flesh…" Niles said slowly, and when CC looked back at him she knew he wasn’t kidding.

Maxwell was very much aware of the fact that he was a couple of minutes early but he decided to ring the doorbell anyhow. He looked back at the nice piece of property that was attached to CC’s house, while he was waiting for the elderly butler to make it to the door. He especially loved the Olympic size swimming pool and how convenient that CC’s house was right next to his own…The children loved it, too, and fortunately the pool was far enough away from the house to not bother CC when she was home. But then she hadn’t been home much lately anyhow…Max had to smile. Who would have thought CC would eventually land a guy like George C. Lee? I mean, old prestigious family, all the way back to the founding fathers. And old money of course, came with the territory…. And to top it off the lucky bastard was everything a woman could dream of. He had noticed that even Fran would get that silly glazed-over look in her eyes whenever George came over to pick CC up from work. Women…give them a pair of dark eyes, a full head of hair with that seductive little gray streak…

Edward, the butler, opened the door slightly out of breath and Maxwell couldn’t help but feel sorry for the man. He probably should have retired a couple of years ago…And then what? Have you ever seen a retirement home for butlers, for heaven’s sake…

"Good morning, sir. Please come in," Edward said and started to cough so violently that Max was worried he would choke.

"Are you all right, old man? Can I get you some water?" he offered, but Edward declined under a second coughing spell and just signaled him to wait in the sitting room, while he shuffled off into the opposite direction. Good thing you’re early…

When Maxwell entered the sitting room he found BB sitting on the couch with a pile of silverware around her.

"How do you spell omelet, dear?" she asked when she noticed that someone had entered the room. She had expected CC.

"O-M-E-L-E-T, if I’m not entirely mistaken…good morning BB."

"Oh Maxwell, I didn’t hear the doorbell…when did you get here?" she said pleasantly surprised and got up from the couch to greet her daughter’s favorite business partner. Now this one would have been a catch…not that ridiculous domestic of hers… Maxwell gave her a distant hug and smiled at her.

"Just a minute ago. Edward was so kind to let me in…is he all right?"

"Oh, you mean this horrible cough of his? The doctor says it has something to do with those ghastly Santa Ana winds and then the rain…"

"I’ve noticed that, too. And they say it never rains in Southern California," Maxwell mused and BB was so taken in by his charm she forgot to laugh. Maxwell cleared his throat. "Do you know if CC is back from the race track? I was supposed to pick her up at ten."

"She’s back. She’s upstairs changing …would you like a drink?"

"Oh, no thank you. I just don’t have the same tolerance for it anymore, I don’t know. I remember Nigel and I closing almost every pub in London on our way home from the theatre, but nowadays…two glasses of wine and I will dance on the table…"

"Well let’s start with one," they heard CC’s voice from outside the door and turned to watch her walk into the room. Her hair was slightly wet from taking a shower but she was wearing full make up and was fully dressed. She smiled at Max and kissed her mother on the cheek.

"Good morning Maxwell. Am I late again?"

"No. No, you’re fine. I’m just early…"

"Good, and what a shame George isn’t here. He thinks I’m always late just to aggravate him."

"And are you?" Max wanted to know.

"Hmm…there is a thought…"

CC passed her mother and looked at a couple of newly arrived wedding presents before she pushed them aside to make a little space on the table.

"This is the latest revision of the revision of the Warner contract. I had the attorneys look it over last night, it’s waterproof and ready to go. Sign it." CC said in an excellent mood and looked around for a pen.

"You mean without looking it over?"

"Maxwell if you don’t trust me after all these years…you better find yourself a new business partner," CC said while still looking for a pen. Max smiled and noticed a nice gold and platinum fountain pen sitting displayed on the table. He reached for it and leaned over the contract to sign it.

"Did George call you this morning, darling?" her mother wanted to know while Max nevertheless looked briefly through the contract. CC smiled.

"Yes. I told him not to bother for lunch, I will pick him up for the party. I didn’t…want him to run into Niles later on."

Max looked up at her.

"Niles? What in the bloody hell would he be doing here two days before your wedding?"

"You mean, you don’t know?" CC wanted to know, and even though she had solemnly sworn never to meddle in Max and Fran’s affairs again, this one was too good to pass. "Your brilliant wife had to hire Niles of all people to cater my wedding…"

"She did what??!"

"Yeah, I was thrilled too, believe me," CC said. "Sign."

Maxwell shook his head and turned to sign the contract, before he closed the pen and absent-mindedly put it into his pocket.

"Why would she do a thing like that?" he wondered, and CC sighed. When it came to Fran Max was wearing blinders, no doubt, but over the years she had gotten used to it.

"Oh, and Maxwell, the pen was a present from the governor of California…"

When Max realized that he had almost walked off with the pen he got even more frazzled and reached to pull the pen back out.

"Oh I am sorry, I didn’t mean to…I mean, I just…" he stammered and put it back on the table, while knocking over a silver plate.

"We better go before you dismantle the entire table. I will be back in time for lunch," CC said to her mother, took Maxwell’s arm and pulled him with her out of the room.

CC was just driving down Sunset Boulevard, when she noticed a red Mercedes convertible changing lanes behind her. She didn’t pay that much attention to it. She had dropped Max off in Studio City to meet Fran for lunch and was on her way back home. The entire morning had been smooth and successful, and she dreaded her upcoming meeting with Niles. How could she have put the preparations for the most important day of her life into Fran’s hands? Sure Fran had offered, and Max had convinced CC how wonderful an idea it was to show Fran how much CC appreciated her input…Or not. When did I ever care what she had to say, and now that…

The car behind her hit his horn and CC looked back in her rear view mirror. What do you want, you idiot? I’m driving 45 miles an hour… She hit the brakes and slowed down to 25, only to hear the horn behind her again. See, now you have a reason to toot your horn, mister… She smiled and let her hand slide out of the half-opened window, one finger sticking out. The horn became more aggressive. Yeah, yeah, yeah, up yours… but it was slowly getting to her especially because other drivers now started to stare at the two cars. Finally when she had to stop at a red light, just before going into Beverly Hills, the red Mercedes pulled up next to her and she looked straight into Niles’ smiling face.

"Nice day, isn’t it?" he yelled when she looked at him over the rim of her sunglasses.

"Yes it was, until about five minutes ago…" CC replied and hit the gas when the light turned green. She left the Mercedes far behind but only for a couple of seconds and they ended up racing each other up Benedict Canyon until they both came to a shrieking halt in front of CC’s main entrance.

"Not bad for a woman who thinks Le Mans was the name of a strip club in Paris…," Niles remarked when he jumped out of his car and hurried to open the car door for CC.

"Thank you," CC said politely when she got out of the car and slipped a five-dollar tip into his hand. "You can park it next to the Bentley in the garage…"

Niles closed his eyes when CC finally passed him and walked toward the house. Her remark had hurt him more than anticipated and yet he should have seen it coming…He took a deep breath and followed her into the house.

He felt slightly uncomfortable to walk back into his former residence…as a matter of fact, he felt highly uncomfortable with the whole situation, but he was businessman enough by now to brilliantly cover up his insecurity.

"Let’s just go straight out to the garden and get this whole thing over with before somebody gets hurt," he heard CC say while she was rushing through the entrance hall and out the verandah door. He noticed that nothing much had changed since he had last been here and followed her without a word.

"Are you still there, or did the mention of the Bentley take the wind out of your pipes?" she wanted to know when he didn’t answer her and turned around. Niles was right behind her, but remained silent, and so she stopped next to the beautiful water garden adjoining the terrace and raised her eyebrows. "What’s the matter?"

"I don’t want to be here any more than you want me to cater your wedding… I need you to understand that," he said in a rather serious voice, and his eyes focused on her half-opened lips. He blinked and looked away.

"Sure. Next thing you say is that you didn’t have a clue it was me who’s getting married."

"I didn’t, or I wouldn’t have agreed to do the job," Niles said solemnly and for the first time it dawned on CC that Niles might have been tricked into this just as much as herself. She looked at him for a moment and finally nodded. He looks good, tanned and healthy…

"I actually believe you," she just said.

"Thank you. Now can we keep this professional and get the business part over with?"

"You mean like racing me home in your hot little Mercedes?" CC wanted to know and tried a smile. It worked, and he smiled back at her. Not the nearly three years of their turbulent marriage but the twenty years prior to it were the reason that they could stand here today and still joke with each other. Niles was very much aware of that. He also knew that she had only left the house so quickly, because she couldn’t bear the sight of having him in it again…

"I didn’t mean to do that. It overcame me when I saw that sexy blonde chick in her Corvette…" he mused, and she nodded again.

"No clue it was me, of course…"

"Absolutely not. Who would have guessed you’ll hot-rod around Beverly Hills in a black Corvette one day…but then you always had that wild streak in you."

"And you always knew how to bring it out," CC admitted with the slightest hint of a twinkle in her eyes, and they smiled at each other again. No matter how bad their break- up turned out to be, how bad the regrets on her and the disappointment on his side, there had been a short time of happiness between them. Something stronger than just their passion for each other had survived the name-calling and the bitterness…

"Daddy, daddy…I knew you wouldn’t let mommy do it!"

A familiar voice behind them let Niles whirl around just in time to catch his little daughter as she flung herself into his arms. A hysterical Chester followed closely and kept jumping up against his leg. Niles embraced the enthusiastic girl tightly and closed his eyes.

"Do what, darling?" he said almost voiceless.

"Marry George," the girl said and sent her mother a somber glance behind his back. Chester started barking with the most annoying high pitch, eager to add his opinion to this unexpected family reunion.

"That’s really not up to me, Janie," Niles said, still holding her close. He didn’t want to let her go, but by now Chester had grabbed the seam of his trousers and started to rip at them, violently shaking his head.

"Chester!" CC reprimanded him.

"You mean, that’s not why you’re here?" JJ wanted to know, while he finally put her back on her feet and bent down to greet the dog. One arm still around his daughter while the other was fending off this Tasmanian devil of a dog, Niles sighed and closed his eyes for the fraction of a second.

CC was watching the scene before her with mixed emotions, but she did notice the expression of complete surrender on Niles’ face…an expression she hadn’t seen on him in many years.

"Daddy is here to…see you, of course, silly," CC said in Niles’ place, and he looked up at her with a grateful smile before he faced his daughter again. She had grown since he had last seen her, and her hair had turned the color of carelessly woven gold under the merciless Californian sun. Janie smiled at him, and he knew he was looking at the spitting image of her mother at that age. "And aren’t you forgetting something?"

"Uh, grandma!" the girl shrieked and put one hand over her mouth. "Don’t go away daddy, please. I’ll be back, ok?"

"Ok," Niles agreed and watched her run back over the lawn, closely followed by an overly excited Chester, only to disappear into the summerhouse. The complete silence that followed gave them both a moment to sort out an avalanche of emotions…

"It’s hard to believe the two of us created something so…beautiful, isn’t it?" CC finally broke the silence, and Niles looked at her in surprise. "Oh, I know what you’re going to say next, and…"

"No, you don’t." Niles interrupted her.

"How I kept her to myself and how selfish…"

"I wasn’t about to bring that up," Niles said and reached for her hand. "CC whatever happened between us, she shouldn’t have to pay the price for it. It’s not her fault."

"But it’s mine…?"

"I didn’t say that. You and me…it just wasn’t any good," he admitted but it wasn’t easy for him to say it. He never believed it either. He knew that it could have worked, should have worked…she just wasn’t ready for their relationship back then. Niles had hurried her into marrying him because he couldn’t wait any longer to be with her, and because he was afraid she would change her mind. When CC gave in to his wishes, it wasn’t exactly because she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him… and he knew that, too, but he had let his passion for her overshadow his better judgement. Then shortly after their rushed wedding in the hospital and the news of the upcoming addition to their family CC panicked. Sure she had wanted someone in her life, but this didn’t exactly turn out the way she had envisioned it. And then there was her family pressuring her to reconsider this ridiculous decision to marry the hired help…She finally sabotaged the last bit of their relationship when she caved in to the popular belief that she had made a horrible mistake, and it wasn’t too late to correct it…

"No. It was…bad, wasn’t it?"

"Most of the time…but then sometimes it was good, too, remember?" Niles said with a dirty little smile on his face, and CC laughed and raised her index finger.

"Hey, I am going to be a married woman in two days…" she said but he kept smiling.

He had forgotten how radiant her smile could be, how catching… Two days. A lot can happen in two days…

The last couple of months in their marriage had been overshadowed by mutual accusations and insecurities. Every decision had ended up in a heated argument between them and given their temperaments it hadn’t always been pretty. Fortunately Jane, or JJ as her mother used to call her in best family tradition, had been too young to really notice what was happening between them, and they had kept up appearances for her sake until it became absolutely unbearable. And then followed the silence…the loneliness of two people who knew they belonged together, somehow, but didn’t have the courage to admit it. Not to others and most of all not to themselves…

"Ah, darling, there you are…" George’s voice interrupted Niles’ thoughts and made CC take a couple of steps away from him.

"George!" CC chirped but Niles knew his former wife well enough to know that she was as disappointed about the interruption as he was. "You remember Niles…?"

"As a matter of fact I don’t," George admitted, and when he smiled at Niles and offered his hand, Niles wanted to die. No chance there, he is every woman’s dream…I wouldn’t even know where to start…

"Husband #1," Niles introduced himself, but the walls of Jericho crumbled under the impact of George’s charming laughter.

"Yes, of course, please forgive me. You’re the one who couldn’t keep her…" And his eyes, skeptically surveying him, added ‘and now I know why… ‘

"Then you must be..." Niles started to say but George did not even let him finish the sentence.

"Husband #2, right," he said quickly.

"Not quite there yet, my friend, but I can tell you’re on your way…" Niles replied and when he briefly glanced at CC he thought he noticed a certain sparkle in her eyes. A sparkle he hadn’t seen in a long time…

"Boys! Boys." CC finally interrupted. "Listening to you two makes me wonder why we ever decided to come down from the trees…George I thought mother told you not to bother about lunch."

"She did. May I ask why exactly you are here?" George suddenly addressed Niles directly.

"Oh. He’s just…" CC started to say immediately.

"I’m just here for…the cake," Niles added simultaneously and looked at CC for help.

"The cake? That’s the silliest thing I have ever heard. Darling?"

"Well, to tell you the truth Niles’ restaurant is going to cater the wedding…"

"What???"

"Best food in town," Niles added with an ingenious smile and even CC nodded.

"And the crème brulee is out of this world," she said and almost automatically made a step towards Niles.

George looked from one to the other and did not like what he saw.

"CC, I would like a word with you."

"We haven’t even started with the preparations, darling. Why don’t you go and have something to eat, and I will talk to you when I’m done here." CC held her own. For a moment Niles thought George would simply burst, but of course he didn’t. What a shame; that would solve my problems right here and now…

"CC!"

"George?"

It was very clear she wasn’t about to let him boss her around in her own house, and Niles felt a sudden pride building up. He watched her from the side as she stemmed her fists into her waist and almost challenged George to start an argument with her. He knew that pose all too well, he had seen it many times before, and he was beginning to feel sorry for George. He’s no match for you, baby…

"I might be gone by the time you’re finished," George said slowly, clearly indicating more than the mere fact that he had to leave again soon.

"Then I’ll talk to you before the party tonight. And darling? Be a lamb and tell mother to bring me the place settings we picked out last week…"

George turned around without another word and walked back into the house, while CC started to nervously fuss with her hair.

"Where were we?" she wanted to know.

"I think you were just saying that you will be a married woman in two days…" Niles repeated her last words before the interruption, and CC had to actually smile. Before she could say anything else they heard the sound of clapping hands from behind them and turned their heads.

"Bravo. What a performance. I can clearly see a match made in heaven here," Stewart Babcock remarked, leaning leisurely against one of the many Greek columns surrounding the luxurious verandah. He had his arm around his granddaughter’s shoulder.

"Yeah, me too," Jane echoed her grandfather, and he smiled at her.

"Smart kid; must come after your side of the family, Niles. How have you been?" Niles shook the hand his former father-in-law offered and smiled back at him. Stewart had been the only one on CC’s side of the family who had been entirely indifferent to his daughter’s choice. As a matter of fact, he had made it rather clear that he did never resent a man who had to work to earn a living…

"Just fine, sir. Thank you for asking."

"I thought you were too busy with your dancer friend in Japan to attend my wedding," CC said coldly but hesitated when she realized that JJ was still holding her grandfather’s hand.

"Can’t a man have a change of heart?" Stewart wanted to know and released his granddaughter when she wiggled loose to go and be with her father instead.

"What heart?" CC wanted to know with an icy smile.

"Do you want to see the tree house Uncle Max and Brighton built for me?" Janie asked her father, unaware of CC’s last remark, and took Niles’ hand. CC nodded approvingly, and he willingly let his daughter lead the way. CC waited until Niles and JJ were clearly out of range before she addressed her father again.

"Frankly I don’t want you here…I don’t want to see mother upset."

"BB was actually happy to see me."

"And I know George wouldn’t approve," CC continued.

"He was the one who called and asked me to attend. He thought it would mean a lot to you…"

"Well, he was wrong then, wasn’t he? Wouldn’t be the first time."

"Oh, I can see that, all right. And talking about hearts…What do you think you’re doing inviting Niles to your wedding? Another one of your cruel jokes?" Her father suddenly asked, and CC was speechless for a moment.

"Invite Niles? Well, I wouldn’t dream of it…"

"Right. I suppose he just showed up and offered to cater the wedding for you…" Stewart remarked sarcastically, but didn’t expect CC to just stare at him and turn away.

"No…Fran hired him," CC said.

"You’re joking."

"I wish I were." And with a deep sigh. "Can this get any stranger…?"

"Hi CC, your mom said you’re out here. Is Niles still here?" she heard Fran’s distinguished voice behind her and simply shook her head. She started rubbing her forehead with her right hand, her left hand firmly on her hip.

"What are you doing here?" she wanted to know without turning around.

"Oh, hi Stewart. Long time no see…" Fran said when she noticed CC’s father and gave him an overbearing hug. "Did you come for the wedding? How sweet."

"Yeah, how sweet. What do you need Niles for? Another surprise?"

"No. Actually…I came to apologize to you for…"

"Fran I have other problems right now, if you don’t mind. Why don’t you just go and see Niles and tell him all about your troubles. He is taking the tour of JJ’s tree house…"

"JJ’s here, too?" Fran wanted to know pleasantly surprised.

"No, Jane Goodall needed a new assistant."

"Well excuse me for living!" Fran muttered and shyly waved at Stewart before she started to walk away, heading for the summerhouse.

"Good God, CC I don’t even know who you are anymore," her father suddenly said. "Whatever happened to that sweet little girl who used to sit on my knees and play horsy?"

"Don’t be ridiculous. I was a child…"

"You were a sweet child, CC, and everybody loved you because you never stopped smiling…"

"So, what am I now? A gorgon? Quick, cover your eyes or you turn to stone?" CC laughed at her own joke but her father did not join her in the amusement.

"The withering glance of the fallen goddess…is that how you like to see yourself?" Stewart asked sadly and studied his daughter’s face carefully.

"Certainly not. It just happens that I set exceptionally high standards for myself, that’s all," CC rebutted his offensive remark and returned his searching glance.

"Standards that nobody in this world could live up to, including your father."

"I’m sorry to hear that."

"Let me tell you something CC. It’s a shame you turned out the way you did. Out of everybody in this family you were the one I had the highest hopes for. Not because you were pretty and a lot smarter than the bunch of them, but because you cared…you cared for the little things. Picking up earthworms when they had to come out of the soaked ground after an evening of heavy rain just so the birds wouldn’t get to them first…remember? And making sure the chauffeur’s daughter always had enough money for ice cream after school. The little things, CC, what happened to them? What happened to you…"

"Life happened," CC said coldly.

"That happens to all of us, but you don’t see me walking around cutting people to shreds just because I can…"

"Mother does."

"So she does. But you’re not your mother. Well, at least I used to think that…"

CC turned away and stared into the garden before her. In the distance she could see Niles climbing up into JJ’s tree house. She could hear her daughter shriek out with pleasure.

"You were given every advantage a girl can ask for, CC, and yet somehow along the road you lost something so important…" Stewart continued.

"$500,000.00 in a foolish investment?"

"Your heart, baby girl. And without an understanding heart you might as well be made out of bronze…"

CC didn’t turn around because she didn’t want her father to see the tears shooting into her eyes. She looked up at the sky trying to make them go away but it didn’t work.

"That’s an awful thing to say to anyone," she whispered in an effort to stop her voice from breaking.

"It’s awful that I had to say it in the first place, CC."

She did not turn around to see her father leave the verandah. She didn’t have to, she knew when he was gone. And very much against her will CC leaned against one of the columns, still watching Niles and JJ playing and laughing, and started to cry. What the hell is the matter with everyone lately…?

"So you met George…" Fran said, carefully swinging back and forth on the swing Janie had just deserted to climb back into the tree house.

"Pretty George, yes…I don’t know why you thought she would even look at me again, two days away from marrying Mr. Perfect," Niles admitted with a sigh and gave Fran a gentle push to make the swing move.

"He might be perfect for some…I doubt he’s perfect for her." Fran considered carefully.

"You mean that?"

"Come on Niles, you’ve seen them together…he is a…"

"…pompous ass, yes, but he’s handsome and rich…"

"CC doesn’t need to marry for money and, hey, looks aren’t everything either."

"That from the woman who married Maxwell Sheffield." Niles gave her swing another push. "Would you have ever as much as looked at me before you had your heart set on Max?" he suddenly asked, and Fran was glad she was on the swing with her back turned toward him.

"CC would have…and did, if my memory serves me correctly…" she answered.

"Niles, I…came here today to let you know that I found another caterer, if you really don’t want to do this. It was Max’s idea…and maybe he’s right. Maybe it wasn’t such a bright idea for me to set this up…"

"What does Max have to do with anything?" Niles wanted to know.

"We had a big fight about it today. He and CC went over to the studio this morning, and they must have had a talk in the car…He’s pretty mad at me for interfering."

"Did he say why?" Niles wanted to know but Fran just shook her head. "Hmm. You know, I think now I want to hang around here just a little bit longer…morbid curiosity."

"That’s all?"

"That and the fact that I whole-heartedly agree with you. I think CC is about to make a terrible mistake…"

"And you’re going to save her? Niles! How romantic."

"Yes, isn’t it, but I doubt she’ll see it that way."

He gave the swing a push hard enough to really send Fran flying, and she screamed like a teenage girl on a roller coaster. Niles had to smile.

"Sorry. Do you want me to stop it?" he wanted to know ready to grab the swing on its way down.

"Don’t you dare, mister," he heard Fran’s voice from far above.

Niles was slowly walking back from the summerhouse, Janie hanging on to the side of his arm.

"Why don’t you love us anymore, daddy?" his little daughter suddenly wanted to know and took Niles completely by surprise. He had just spent the last hour rearranging the furniture in his daughter’s tree house, accompanied by Janie’s happy squeaks and screams and did not expect a question of this nature, having just proven the opposite.

"Why would you say that, darling?"

"Because if you’d love us more mommy wouldn’t have to marry Uncle George," JJ concluded and reached for her father’s hand. Niles looked down at his daughter with sudden sadness. I should have never stayed away. Never. And all for the wrong reasons, always for the wrong reasons…

"You really think so?" he asked more to himself.

Janie nodded with too much determination before she stopped and looked up at her father with those deep blue eyes.

"That’s what mommy said."

Niles frowned and was just about to find out what else ‘mommy’ had told her, when he noticed CC coming out of the house, slowly heading for the pool.

"Why don’t you go ahead and find your grandmother, and I will be there to fix you a sandwich?"

"Are you going to leave us again?’

Niles watched CC sit down at the rim of the Olympic size pool and stare absentmindedly over the crystal clear surface.

"I don’t now yet."

"When will you know?"

"Soon, I hope and now run along."

He watched his daughter get sidetracked by a playful butterfly and run off into the direction of his rose garden instead. Surely lunch was forgotten for the moment… Niles changed direction as well and headed for the pool where CC was now playing with the water, deeply lost in her thoughts. He walked up behind her and waited patiently until she noticed him.

CC looked up and blinked when she had to look straight into the sun behind him.

"You’re still here…" It was more of a statement than a question; her voice deep and calm.

"We haven’t even started to talk about the wedding," Niles said slowly, well aware of the heavy mood that she was in. She nodded and absentmindedly let her hand glide back into the water.

"Do you think I’m a fool, Niles?" she suddenly wanted to know, and he raised his eyebrows in surprise. CC smiled without looking at him. She didn’t have to, she knew the whole array of his facial expressions by heart…

"Oh, don’t tempt me like that…" he answered, trying to lighten up her mood.

"No seriously, am I foolish to marry George?"

"That seems to be the common census, yes," he said with a sigh.

Out of nowhere a stubborn little wrinkle formed on her forehead, and she pulled back her hand and turned around to face him.

"Well, I’m going to do it anyhow."

"I didn’t expect anything else from you."

"Good, because in two days from today I am going to be Mrs. George C. Lee."

"If that makes you happy, darling, you certainly have my blessing."

"Oh, you can keep your blessings and don’t call me darling. I am a heartless goddess made out of bronze, don’t you know?" CC said and got up from the poolside.

"No I don’t. I have found plenty of other names for you over the years, but goddess…that’s stretching it…" Niles said and watched her pick up a towel.

"You don’t think I’m heartless…and cold?" she wanted to know with honest distress in her eyes when she stopped next to him. "After all I’ve done to you?’

"All we’ve done to each other, baby." He corrected her with a tired smile. "No. As a matter of fact, I think you’re rather hot…" She searched his eyes for any sign of cruelty indicating an upcoming strike, but all she found was deeply rooted tenderness and…love. He was the only man who had never criticized her, never questioned her abilities, not even for a second. You never tried to change me, and you never told me what to do or not to do; all you ever did was love me…Not like George. Nowhere near George…CC raised her hand to his face and gently touched his cheek.

"Don’t…" Niles pleaded and intercepted her hand before it could reach his lips.

"Sometimes I feel so completely alone…" she suddenly whispered, and it took all the strength he could come up with to hold her at arm’s length. He wanted her back, he knew that now. Oh, and how he wanted to hold her in his arms again, but he also knew better than to give in to her all too sudden change of heart. Whatever had put her into this rare mood of reverie, whatever might have been said between her and Stewart before he had gotten here, it wouldn't last. And he needed more than that. Wanted more than that… this time.

"I know. It will pass," he promised and wanted to push her away but CC stood her ground.

"How did we end up hating each other, Niles?" she wanted to know, her eyes probing his.

"Considering the fact that we started out hating each other, I don’t think we…"

"I didn’t hate you back then," CC interrupted him.

"You despised me."

"I despised the fact that you never made a pass at me."

"What, the hired help make a pass at you? You must be joking."

"That’s what I used to tell myself…"

"And then what happened?"

"You asked me to marry you."

"And then what?"

"Then we made a mistake. No, I made the mistake…"

"To marry me?"

"No…to…"

"CC, shouldn’t you be getting ready for the party?" they heard BB’s voice from the other side of the pool, and CC reluctantly broke their eye contact.

"I just wanted to go for a quick swim," CC said barely loud enough for her mother to hear. She clasped the towel even tighter and passed Niles to disappear in one of the changing rooms, adjoining the pool. Niles used the moment it took BB to walk around the pool to clear his head and calm his racing heart.

"I think it’s outrageous," BB finally said when she stopped next to Niles. Her eyes narrowed when she looked him up and down.

"Whatever it is, I agree. Happy?" Niles wanted to know but did not move.

"I’d be happy if you’d get the hell out of here and leave my daughter alone," BB said sharply and Niles had to smile. I knew there was something about this marriage that I definitely did not miss…

"Oh, I’m just here for the food, remember?"

"I remember that it took me more than two years to talk some sense into CC. I’m not going to stand by and let her make the same mistake twice."

"You mean, marry George?"

"You know exactly what I mean. I didn’t like your impertinent manner then, and I am certainly not going to put up with it now. I want you out of this house."

"Are you going to cook for your 300 guests yourself tomorrow, or do you think DD will help you in the kitchen while you’re out here serving?"

"If that’s what it takes to make you disappear. I’ll even pluck the chicken…"

"You know, that might be fun to watch…" Niles said and returned her scornful glance.

Stewart Babcock still had the infallible ability to show up just at the right moment to prevent the worst between Niles and his unbearable mother-in-law. As usual his timing was perfect as he walked up next to BB and put his arm around her shoulder.

"Ah, Niles. Ready for Uncle Willie’s party tonight?" he asked as jovially as possible. BB sent him a warning glance. She had always resented her ex-husband’s obvious indifference about Niles’ social standing. "You are coming, aren’t you?"

"I wasn’t aware of the fact that I am invited."

"You’re not." BB said coldly, not allowing any further discussion of the matter but Stewart looked at her in surprise and shook his head.

"What are you always talking about? Of course he’s invited," he said and turned to address Niles directly. "When William heard that he had just missed you this afternoon he was very upset. ‘Make sure the boy comes to the party,’ he told me. He’s really looking forward to seeing you, son." BB flinched at the familiar term her ex-husband chose to address Niles. She couldn’t help it, she just hated the man…

Nobody had noticed CC coming out of the changing room until a whaling splash announced her evening swim.

"Isn’t anyone going to join me?" she wanted to know when she resurfaced and wiped the water out of her eyes. She looked fabulous in her red bathing suit, and she knew it. She covered the length of the pool with elegant strokes and hugged the rim of the pool next to Niles. "How about it, Hazel?" she wanted to know and spit out a puddle of water.

"Sorry, can’t do. I have to get ready for Uncle Willie’s party…" Niles replied with a calculated smile.

"That a boy!" he heard Stewart behind him, while CC looked at her mother.

"What?"

"Don’t look at me. It certainly wasn’t my idea…" BB said and sent Niles one last deadly glance, before she turned and went back into the house.

"Father?"

"I’m glad to hear that it’s father again…yes, I’m going. I wouldn’t miss one of William’s parties for all the gold in Africa. And don’t be late CC, after all you’re the guest of honor. See you later, Niles."

CC waited until her father had reached the entrance of the house before she pulled herself up out of the pool. With her legs still in the water she stayed seated at the poolside and Niles noticed once again how well rounded her figure had become over the last couple of years. After JJ was born she had been obsessed with losing the extra weight right away, but her body had matured in a very becoming way.

"How did you manage to get yourself invited?" she wanted to know without looking at Niles. Just as he had anticipated earlier, her prior moment of insecurity was wiped away as if she’d never had the slightest doubt about her upcoming wedding.

"I didn’t. Your mother invited me…"

CC’s head snapped around, and he was almost glad to detect her usual hostility in her deep blue eyes.

"You are such a liar!" she said and sent a wave of water into Niles’ direction.

"Glad to see you’re still with me," he remarked after avoiding the water to hit his pants, and CC sent him another sharp glance.

"Janie told me that you wouldn’t have to marry George if daddy still loved you…" Niles suddenly said and watched carefully for her reaction. CC surprised him with a smile.

"Don’t you wish life could be that easy?" she asked without giving him the satisfaction of answering the question behind his statement.

"Yes I do, and then I look at George, and I wonder how you could ever choose a man so…unlike yourself…"

"I chose George because he is so unlike me. You and I, we’re two of a kind and that certainly wasn’t any good. So George is everything you’re not…and I love him for it as I never…" CC stopped in mid-sentence when she realized what she was about to say. How could her four-year-old daughter know so much more about them than her mother?

"I’m glad you stopped when you did…" Niles said sincerely and waited for her to turn and look back at him. "What about the set-up for the wedding?"

"I leave the details entirely to you. I’m sure it’s going to be fabulous…"

"I promise you it will be… And I noticed they delivered my wedding present," he added and pointed at the table in front of the changing room. "Don’t you want to open it?"

"Maybe later…" she said as if it didn’t really matter to her, but he knew her well enough to know that her curiosity was definitely sparked. He just nodded, smiled at her and slowly walked toward the house.

CC watched him walk away and sighed. If she was about to marry George in two days how come Niles could still make her feel this way? And what in the world was she hoping for? They tried it, it didn’t work, now she was about to start a new life with a new man …and she just couldn’t get excited about it.

She got up, grabbed another towel and started to dry her hair as she walked back to the little table to closer inspect Niles’ wedding present. She stopped in front of a beautiful gift basket covered with elaborate foil wrapping and started to pull it apart when a big smile found its way over her face. Before her, embedded in a fleet of dark red roses, she found a colorful assortment of all kinds of toppings; everything from chocolate sauce to sun ripened olive oil…

Fran was sitting in Maxwell’s office, swinging back and forth in his chair with her feet up on his desk. She nodded a couple of times, shifting the phone from one hand to the other before she broke into laughter.

"I know. Janie was having such a good time… aren’t you glad I called you? No? Well, you should be…" she said and almost fell off the chair when the heel of her left shoe got stuck in Max’s top drawer. "What? No I’m all right…I’m on the treadmill, yes…gotta keep in shape…" she continued her conversation while sitting back up in the chair. "No I don’t think you’re crazy. I think you’re…"

She didn’t hear Max come into the office and almost jumped when he suddenly stood next to her and smiled.

"…gonna handle it just fine. I mean who really needs a trampoline at a wedding party… Look I gotta go, sweetie. Love you, too." Fran hung up and almost catapulted herself out of the chair.

"Was that CC? I needed to talk to her about the Warner contract."

"Nope. I better see what the twins are up to…" she said and tried to leave the office.

"They’re sleeping. I just checked on them. Who was that on the phone?" Max wanted to know more out of habit than real curiosity.

"Oh, that was just …Niles. He wanted to know what color napkins to use, and I told him it really didn’t matter as long as they didn’t clash with the dresses…"

Max suddenly stopped what he was doing and turned around to look at his wife.

"I will never understand this unnatural obsession of yours to meddle in other people’s affairs," he said seriously, picking up exactly where they had left off earlier when he had to leave to go to the studio. Fran sighed.

"It’s not an obsession," she said with her best hurt-little-girl’s voice and blinked back at him. She really didn’t want to get into this again…Once a day was plenty enough for her. Well, at least when it came to arguments… "It’s more like…a hobby."

"Well, why can’t you be more like other wives and take up gardening instead? Or go and find a spectacular sale somewhere and leave people to their own devices for a change," Max insisted. He didn’t feel like arguing about it either, but he was getting tired of her always getting away with it. There had to be a line drawn somewhere…

"But I’m not like other wives…"

"Truer words were never spoken…" Max muttered and pulled a folder out of his desk drawer. As far as he was concerned, he was done talking about it. He still had some work to do before the party at William Babcock’s house tonight, and he’d already had a long day.

"What’s that supposed to mean?" When he heard Fran’s dangerously calm voice behind him, he instinctively knew that she wouldn’t just drop it there.

"Oh please, not now, Fran, I have work to do…can’t we argue about this later?"

"You’re the one who had to bring it up. And anyhow, I don’t appreciate the direction this is going…never bothered you before…"

"No, it did bother me before, I just didn’t say anything about it because I didn’t deem it important enough."

"But you do now?"

"Well, if you have to know, yes. I think it was inappropriate and cruel of you to get Niles mixed up into this wedding. So there. Happy now?"

"Happy??? You’re joking, right? Because if you’re joking I could actually find this amusing…" Fran offered him his out. He did not take it.

"But it’s not amusing. CC is finally ready to move on with her life. She found a wonderful man who she is going to marry in a little more than 24 hours, and she is completely satisfied. As a matter of fact I don’t recall CC ever being so …at peace with herself…" Max said instead, while still looking through some of the folders before him.

"Sounds more like she’s already dead…And I wouldn’t be so sure about the satisfied part either, if I were you. Because some little voice in the back of my head keeps telling me that she doesn’t exactly look like a woman who is completely…satisfied…"

Maxwell was only half listening to her.

"Nonsense. George is perfect for her. In every way."

"Is he? Or is he perfect for your upcoming investment?" Fran suddenly threw into the equation and instantly got his attention back. Maxwell almost bit through his pencil. He honestly didn’t expect her to come around to that.

"Frankly, I think that’s enough now," he said, slightly annoyed.

"Well, isn’t that convenient…how it is always enough of something just when it becomes uncomfortable for you to continue the discussion."

"I wouldn’t exactly call this a discussion…"

"No you’re right. In a discussion you have two people who actually have a right to their opinion," Fran countered and looked at him for a moment before she continued. "You know, I might not always like the way you deal with things either, but at least I let you finish a sentence…"

"If I let you finish a sentence we will miss the party tonight," Max said coldly and now Fran was getting really angry.

"You think you’re so smart, don’t you?"

"Depends on your definition of smart…" he challenged her.

"Everything that you think I am not." Fran defined it for him.

Max gave the folder in front of him an angry little push and watched his paperwork sail across the desk with little interest.

"For heaven’s sake, Fran, does everything always have to escalate into me being the bad guy and you being oh-so-wronged?" he wanted to know. "Sometimes you just do these things…that drive me crazy. Things that a man wouldn’t exactly expect the woman at his side to do…That’s all."

"You mean, I’m nothing like Sara…" Fran suddenly said, deeply hurt, and the expression on her face was giving away her oncoming tears. He couldn’t tell what triggered his anger more, the fact that Fran always had to justify her irrational behavior or the mention of his late wife’s name in connection with it…

"Damned right, you’re nothing like Sara," Max yelled at her, much more heated than he could explain, and turned away. Of course he instantly regretted his words but when he nervously ran his hand through his hair and turned around to apologize to her, Fran had already left the room.

Max felt miserable. He didn’t mean to say…that. But she always has to push everything to the limit and after all, she was the one bringing up Sara… He tried to justify his sudden burst of anger, but there was really no excuse for what he had just said, and he knew better. And yet he did say it. And unlike other things he had said before this was not one easily taken back…

Uncle Willie’s party was what Uncle Willie’s parties always turned out to be: A spectacle so grand it would give the local columnists material to write about for weeks to come… The entire pool area was redecorated as a tropical rainforest with wildly aromatic flowers, matching exotic beauties to walk around with trays of refreshments and a fleet of brightly burning cauldrons floating around the pool.

Everybody seemed to have the time of their life…everybody but BB, that was, who was desperately trying to keep her ex-husband’s hands off the exotic beauties and transfer some of his obvious enthusiasm over to her…

"Am I slowly getting drunk, or are you hitting on your own husband…?" CC wanted to know with a faint smile on her face when she approached her mother by the pool. She had been watching them with mixed feelings for quite a while. "How very old-fashioned."

"Not if you have been divorced twice," BB admitted with a surprisingly open gesture.

"Mother! I didn’t know there was another husband besides…" CC started to say, now really surprised, but BB put her finger to her daughter’s lips and smiled a secret little smile.

"Can you keep a secret?" she wanted to know.

"Of course."

"There wasn’t," BB said, laughed the deep, throaty trademark laughter of all Babcock women and gladly followed Stewart into the ballroom.

It took CC a moment before she realized what her mother had just indicated and her eyes widened in disbelief… She had no idea that this was only the beginning.

At around two o’clock in the morning the huge ice sculpture that Uncle Willie had ordered in the likeness of CC and George actually started to look like CC again; she was leaning dangerously to one side, her hair in some disarray and her eyes slightly crossed. CC proposed a toast to her icy image as she passed through the hallway and staggered on to the verandah. It was obvious that this guest of honor had a couple too many vodka stingers…She narrowed her eyes and aimed straight for George’s arms when she recognized his face on the other side of the verandah. Or at least she thought it was George. At this time of the night people started to look an awful lot alike, she had to admit…

"Georgie, darling…" she said with the typical voice of a woman who had way too much to drink, slightly too loud and somewhat blurry. She stopped behind him when he didn’t turn around and put her hands over his eyes with a giggle.

"You know in China we’d be married by now," she said and let her head sink against his back as her hands slid down and embraced his chest.

"Or perhaps it’s only yesterday…" Niles said softly and turned around, still in her embrace.

"Oh." CC wanted to take a step backward but he did not allow it.

"You know there is that old custom we have…" Niles suddenly said, and CC couldn’t help but giggle again. He knew he was taking advantage of her state of total intoxication, but then who ever agreed to play fair?

"What custom?"

"Kissing the bride…" Niles said and pulled her even closer. "It’s all right, you’re getting married in the morning remember…"

"Am I? Oh, yes, I am, don’t I? To what’s his name…"

"George."

"Right," CC said with stern determination before she started to giggle again. His face was so close to hers that she had to squint her eyes to look at him. "You know you look great in that tux…" she suddenly muttered, and he smiled at her. "About that old custom of yours…"

"Kissing the bride…"

"Yeah, that." Niles’ glance intensified, and she started to look away, pretending to recognize someone else in the distance. Drunk or not this was the moment when CC Babcock realized that she was about to make a big mistake all around… When she looked back into his eyes she almost started to cry. "Oh Niles…"

His lips met hers at exactly the moment he noticed George standing at the verandah door, watching them. He pulled CC even closer and kissed her so passionately that he could feel her body soften under his firm grip. CC raised her hands and cupped his face returning his kiss with such intensity that it took George’s clearing his throat to separate them again.

"George, I didn’t see you come out…" CC said still catching her breath as she took a step backwards. She looked back at Niles and her face was so soft, her eyes so full of wonder instead of embarrassment…

"That much seems certain. And what do you think you’re doing?" George addressed Niles.

"Oh he was just kissing the bride," CC said with a radiant smile, trying to make light of the situation while the alcohol in her system was slowly taking over again.

"Very funny," George admitted without any humor attached to his statement. " I think it’s time for you to go home now. You have a big day tomorrow."

"Yes I do, don’t I… But I’m not the least bit tired, and I want to dance…Dance with me George." CC smiled at her husband-to-be and walked toward him with a rather heavy stagger before she threw herself into his arms.

"I don’t think so."

CC was still smiling when she looked up at George.

"You know there was a Chinese boy who drowned when he was trying to kiss the moon in the river…he was drunk," CC suddenly said.

"I say as much."

"But he wrote beautiful poetry," Niles added and when CC looked back at him standing there covered with the most radiant moonlight she had ever seen, in his smashing tux, she closed her eyes and just nodded. Yes, he wrote beautiful poetry…

"I am leaving now, CC and I am expecting you to…" George started to say when he got sidetracked by the sound of approaching footsteps…

"Maxfield Sheffwell, reporting for duty." Max raised his hand to his head in the sloppy attempt of a military greeting and grinned at everyone on the verandah. "What’s the matter?"

Niles raised his eyebrows and watched his former employer and friend with utmost astonishment. He had never seen Maxwell that drunk before, at least not since he had gotten married to Sara. This was proving to be a very interesting party indeed…

CC took the moment of confusion and used it shamelessly to her advantage. She wiped George’s arms away and walked over to join Max instead.

"George is being ugly, he doesn’t want to dance with me," she pouted and Max, just as drunk as she was at this point, played beautifully into it.

"That’s not very nice," he agreed.

"I know."

"I tell you what, I’ll dance with you. Come on, and I think we need another drink…" He put his arm around CC’s waist and the two of them started walking back into the house. "…or would George spank?"

Niles watched them disappear with an amused smile on his face.

"Outrageous. CC!" George started to go after them, but now Niles was holding him back.

"For heaven’s sake, man, let her be. Max is probably the safest bet in town when it comes to CC…I can tell you that much," Niles said and watched George’s reaction with great satisfaction. How little he knows her and how little he cares…

"I don’t know what made you the authority all of a sudden…" George snapped and pushed Niles’ hand away.

"Well, you see, she used to be mine and… she isn’t quite yours yet…" Niles pondered and just as expected George just glared at him and stormed back into the house.

Niles leaned back against the railing of the verandah and looked up at the stars. Never, in his wildest dreams, would he have expected Maxwell to be the one to liberate CC one day…

"There was a young lady from Niger.

Who smiled as she rode on a tiger.

Da da daa da da daa;

Da da daa da da daa….

And the smile on the face of the tiger. I forgot the middle part…" CC admitted as she gently swayed to the music, loosely dancing around Max.

"I can hear the sound of violins, long before it begins…" CC sang, skillfully accompanying the voice of Dean Martin, which was smoothly flooding the entire room.

Rumba… her favorite.

"But it doesn’t make sense without the middle part," Max complained, still trying to figure out her story. He was just as drunk. Whenever they passed a deserted table—and there were many at two in the morning—he reached around CC and finished the half-empty glasses… offering a friendly toast to the few guests still left in the room.

"I know, I know, but I can’t remember…" CC admitted and smiled at him. "You know, you’re a good sport. I never knew you were such a…good sport."

She made a couple of dance steps and smiled when she noticed him checking her out… Max smiled back at her, but couldn’t quite get over the tiger story.

"What happened to the lady?" he wanted to know.

"The tiger ate her," CC said and laughed. "That’s why he was smiling."

"But you didn’t say that…how is anyone supposed to know that he ate her? I don’t like it."

"You would like it if you heard the whole thing; it’s very funny," she insisted.

"What’s the whole thing?" Max wanted to know while reaching for another half empty glass.

"Well, that’s just it, I don’t seem to remember…" CC admitted and suddenly stumbled over her own feet. Max caught her and was holding on to her while CC tried to stand back up, but her feet had turned to Jell-O all of a sudden…And that seemed awfully funny.

"Oh boy, George wouldn’t like this…" she said with a cheerful giggle.

"George is too serious," Max agreed and tried to support her when she reached for his jacket, but she slipped off, and now he lost his balance, and so they both ended up side by side on the floor laughing about it like it was the funniest thing that had ever happened to either one of them. Max tried to turn around and at least sit up, when CC started the same maneuver and they met in the middle, nose to nose…

"Hello you. You look fine…" Max said and nodded at CC the way only very drunken people nod. She smiled at him and playfully rubbed her nose against his.

"I feel fine," CC responded and put her arms around his neck. "I know, we just stay down here and dance…" She was sitting up now and slowly started moving to the music. A curl of her hair had come loose and found its way over her face, and she impatiently tucked it back behind one ear, while Max put his hands around her waist. She felt soft and warm, much more enticing than he would have expected, and he liked the smell of her heavy perfume… he was just about to pull her closer when he noticed a group of maids, who were trying to discreetly ignore them as they started to clear off some of the tables.

"This is not a good place for…dancing," Max suddenly said and tried to get back up on his feet, but CC was still swaying to the music hanging off his neck and didn’t make his effort any easier.

"You mean the dance floor?" she whispered into his ear and laughed again. It was her dark throaty laughter that he had heard a million times before, and yet this time it sent an unexpected sensation through his body.

He tightened his grip around her waist and finally pulled her up to put her back on her feet. When CC found her legs again she was so close to him that he could almost feel her breath touching his neck. It wasn’t rational that he suddenly felt the urge to kiss her full red lips, but he did… For heaven’s sake, man, you have known CC for how many years now and never…? Well, except that one time when we had to share that room on one of our business trips, and I walked in on you taking a shower… You didn’t see me, of course, and I was gentlemen enough to push aside any impure thoughts other than the fine appreciation for your beautifully shaped, female body… He found the memory of her taking a shower to be an extreme turn-on at this particular moment and tried to think of something else instead. Something less… sexy. His eyes wandered away from her lips to the perfect line connecting her ear to her lovely strong jaw.

He was so intoxicated he could hardly think straight… Boy, how did I get so drunk? He found himself staring at CC’s half-opened lips again and cleared his throat. This is CC Babcock you’re looking at, good old reliable CC… and yet, tonight, she had that sassy sparkle in her eyes, that seductive smile…Maxwell leaned slightly forward and kissed her. Careful at first, worried that she would pull back or not return his kiss…but much to his satisfaction CC willingly closed her eyes and pulled him in even closer. Before he knew it he was passionately kissing the woman he had worked with for almost twenty years, and he was surprised how delicious she was, how skilled a kisser… he was just about to let his hands get to work on her body, when CC suddenly pulled back. Not upset, not in a desperate hurry to separate her lips from his, but with her eyes wide open now and her mouth almost forming a smile.

"CC, I am so sorry… I don’t know what came over me… I…" he started, but CC just smiled at him and searched for something in his eyes she didn’t seem to be able to find. She slowly let her head sink back, stared at the ceiling like she had never noticed the limits of a room before and suddenly started to laugh. Not about him, not at him, but about this lifelong joke that she had never been able to figure out. And right there, only hours away from her wedding, it all of a sudden was funny…

"Let’s go for a swim at my house. What’d you say?" she suddenly suggested when she looked back at Max. She felt so much better now, and she was so done with this place… too many empty tables around, and empty tables always made her sad. But she didn’t want to be sad anymore, she wanted to be happy and celebrate and…go for a swim.

"Now?" Max wanted to know, nervously running his hand through his sweaty hair. The room insisted on wildly twirling around his aching head…

CC smiled at him and nodded.

"Sure. Why not? Just you and me and the water…" she purred. There was a lightness about her, a glow that he found unbearably attractive at this moment. He wanted to kiss her again, hold her, feel her voluptuous body surrender to his probing hands… But he was also painfully aware of the fact that CC seemed to prefer a good night swim to him making love to her on a deserted dance floor at two in the morning…

"Ok," Max just said. He pushed her away far enough to gain some breathing room. It was awfully hot in there all of a sudden, and swimming actually did sound like a pretty good idea. "Who’s driving?"

"It’s not going to be me," CC started to sing and looked around the almost empty room for a moment before something else entered her mind. Thinking wasn’t all that easy anymore…

"Hey, where’s Fanny?" she wanted to know.

"Who?"

"Well, you know, your wife…"

Max looked around like he had lost something before he suddenly burst into nervous laughter. And then there was Fran…

"I don’t know. Must have lost her somewhere…you think she’d mind?" he wanted to know.

"Mind what?"

"Me going swimming with you, at, what, two thirty in the morning?"

"The day before my wedding? Hell, no. I’ve known you the better part of my life Maxwell Sheffield and you have never…?" CC started to say but hesitated. That particular thought made her angry all of a sudden. I always wanted you, and you bastard never even as much as looked at me…until now. And now that I could have it, have you…for once… She wasn’t all that drunk after all, it seemed…

"I know. I never even…" Max hesitated and looked at her. The brilliant shine of her dark blue eyes, her silky blonde hair reflecting the discreetly dimmed lights, the way she had smiled at him earlier… "How come I never did?"

"Did what?"

"Kiss you?"

"Oh I don’t know. I guess we’ve never been drunk enough before," CC answered and when she tried to laugh about her own joke it wasn’t funny anymore. She looked away, deep in thought of what could have been, when Max raised his hand to her face and smiled at her.

"It’s water under the bridge now, isn’t it…?" he asked gently. "And talking about water…what about that swim you promised?"

"Still up for it?"

"Interesting choice of words."

CC missed a beat before she shook her head and started laughing again.

"For that, I think I need another drink…" she said cheerfully and grabbed a half-empty bottle of champagne off the nearest table.

Niles was rather satisfied with the outcome of this party. He had done all he could to jumpstart CC’s memories of happier times between them and now Maxwell was finishing it up just perfectly. He whistled as he handed his car keys to a half-asleep boy waiting in the driveway to get the last cars out of the garage, and pointed at his red Mercedes.

"Niles?" he suddenly heard a tired voice behind him. He turned and noticed Fran sitting on a little bench next to the main entrance. He didn’t trust his eyes at first, but she was really smoking a cigarette…

"Are you leaving?" she wanted to know, threw the cigarette into a near flowerpot and got up to join him. Her face was a little flushed and her mascara almost gone, like she had been crying the better part of the night. Come to think of it, Niles hadn’t seen much of her at the party, but then Fran had not exactly been the center of his attention either…

"Well, looks like I did just about all the damage I can do for one night… I’d say I’m ready to leave," he said with a winning smile but his old friend did not smile back at him. She just nodded and he noticed a very atypical graveness about the way she just stared into the night.

"What’d you do? Kiss the bride?" she said absentmindedly and looked back at him in surprise when he did not respond. Her mouth formed a silent "Oh."

"Where is Max?" Niles changed the subject.

"Last I looked he was in there, dancing on the table with CC…" she said and that sounded even more tired.

"That bad?"

"No, I mean they were literally dancing on the front table…both drunk as a skunk. I was always wondering about that, you know…" Fran started to mutter as she was fighting off the oncoming tears, "Why drunk as a skunk? I mean, skunks are not exactly known for their drinking, or are they?" Fran looked up at the star-studded night sky when she suddenly started to cry.

Niles frowned, now seriously concerned and put his arm around her shoulder.

"Now, now. What’s the matter?" he wanted to know.

"Can you take me home?"

"What about Max?" Niles asked, skeptically looking back at the ballroom. Now this wasn’t so good, or was it?

"He’s a big boy; he can find his way home," she said in between sobs. She was fishing for something in her purse and got aggravated when she couldn’t find it.

"Sure?" Niles pulled the handkerchief out of his tuxedo pocket and handed it to her.

"He always has. Thanks." Fran took the handkerchief and blew her nose with such intensity that Niles had to smile again. It was clear that she and Max must have had another bad fight. The fact alone that Max was as drunk as he hadn’t been in years bore witness to the fact. What he couldn’t figure out was why Max was so irritated with him being involved in the wedding? He was just about to say something to that effect when he noticed the bush behind them move a little. First he suspected some kind of nocturnal visitor from the nearby mountains, but then the bush parted and Max climbed through it, closely followed by a very sleepy CC. They could hardly walk in a straight line.

"Ssshhhht." Max looked back at CC and put his index finger over his mouth, almost tripping over the little wall that separated the lawn from the flowerbeds.

"I didn’t say a thing," CC hissed back and they both started to giggle when he had to brace himself against a helpful tree. She bumped into him, and Max dropped the empty champagne bottle, which hit the ground accompanied by the unpleasant melody of shattering glass.

"Oh boy," Niles said and kept holding on to Fran as she turned to see what all the noise was about. When she wanted to approach them, Niles tightened his grip around her shoulders and just shook his head.

CC didn’t give him much of a choice when she suddenly faced their direction and narrowed her eyes.

"Hey, that’s Fanny…wouldn’t you know…" she yelled and Max turned around as well.

"And Niles… sweet, loving Niles… hey, lover, we’re going swimming."

"That’s nice," Niles said in lieu of something clever to say. It was after all almost three o’clock in the morning and this wasn’t exactly his brightest hour either…

"Very nice," Max echoed and started to pull the car keys out of his pocket. "And I’m driving."

"Yeah, I don’t think so," Niles said and finally looked at Fran for help who was still standing next to him and had remained dangerously calm so far. He couldn’t read the expression on her face. He had never seen her so serious before, and he knew it couldn’t mean anything good if she had lost her unshakeable sense of humor just now. "Go take the keys from him," he said to her, but Fran did not move.

"Fran? He is more than drunk right now. He won’t remember a thing in the morning, trust me. Now go get the keys."

Fran finally looked at him and nodded, but she still didn’t say a word. This was the first time that she and Max had really gotten into a heated argument, and he had compared her to Sara. She had never seen him that way, losing his temper like that, and she didn’t know how to handle it. She had been hurt when he left her sitting alone at the party to gossip with old friends, and she was even more hurt when she found him at the bar an hour later, slowly getting drunk. Under normal circumstances she would have made light of it and taken him home, but this time was different. He was different, and she didn’t know how to handle the situation. And now she found him arm in arm with CC Babcock, of all people…classy, smart, educated CC Babcock…

Slowly she approached her husband and forced a smile to her face.

"Ok sweetie…be a good boy and hand over the keys and nobody will get hurt," she said much more serious than Niles would have expected. There was definitely more to this story than met the eye, but right now he was more concerned about getting everyone home safely.

"Hi darling…" Max smiled a smitten smile at her. "Are you going to go swimming with us?"

"I don’t think so, darling. But I agree that a dip in the pool might do you both some good…"

"Fran…" she heard Niles’ warning voice behind her. "Just get the keys… I’ll take him home."

"What? And what about Sheena, queen of the jungle, here…?" she wanted to know, slowly gaining her wit back. Niles looked at CC who was so tired she could hardly stand up straight and had to smile.

"Cinderella gets back into her pumpkin and you be a good little mouse and drive her home… I’ll trade you when we get there…" Niles promised with an ambiguous nod and slowly but surely Fran started to catch on.

"Ohh," she said, and nodded back with a wink. "All right, CC, all we have to do now is find the right pumpkin…" Fran put her arm around CC’s waist to brace her and the two women started to slowly walk away to find CC’s car.

"Well then, old boy, it’s down to you and me. What do you say we head on home?" Niles said and motioned Max to follow him to the Mercedes.

"What about my limo?" Max wanted to know like a little boy asked to give up his favorite toy.

"We’ll get it tomorrow. I happen to know the fellow who owns this joint."

"Really?" Max wanted to know, while Niles pushed his drunken ex-boss into the front seat of his car.

"Yes, really," he imitated Max and slammed the door closed behind him. He had the funny feeling that this night wasn’t entirely over yet, even though he couldn’t possibly imagine what else could happen between now and the time CC would become Mrs. George C Lee. He hated the sound of that. Another precious piece in George’s expensive collection of extraordinary things…And extraordinary she is.

Niles steered the car around the corner and headed for the freeway onramp when Max suddenly chuckled.

"What’s so funny?" he wanted to know. He didn’t have to concentrate on traffic; there were no other cars on the road at this time of the morning…

"You are still in love with her, aren’t you? No, don’t deny it…"

"I’m not denying it," Niles admitted.

"Fran says you are, but then women always have to romanticize everything…" Max went on muttering and looked out of the window. Niles doubted that he had even heard his reply.

"CC is going to marry George in a couple of hours from now, so what does it matter how I feel about her?" he started to fish. He had a couple of questions himself.

"Right. George is a good guy, but he didn’t want to dance…He doesn’t like to dance."

"You like George?"

"Sure, everybody likes George."

"Oh I don’t know. I think he’s a pompous ass."

"No, no no. You can’t say that. George just poured a couple of million into our next project… that makes him a good guy on my list," Max continued and Niles cast him a quick glance. So that’s what this is all about: money. Niles nodded more to himself. You want to make sure CC marries George so your investment is secured… He looked at Max and couldn’t help but wonder if he would sell his own wife at so cheap a price…

"Do you think he loves her?" was Niles’ next question. He took great comfort in the fact that Max wouldn’t remember a thing in the morning.

"Who? George?" Max paused for a second. "I think George only loves George."

Niles raised one eyebrow and almost missed the connection to the 405 Freeway.

"But does CC love George? That is the question. You know, I can’t understand how you could’ve been married to the woman and still know so little about her," Max continued chatting away. He was getting sleepy and the unexpected turbulence of this night was slowly beginning to take its toll.

"I have known CC almost as long as you have…" Niles remarked, but Max was just getting started on the subject.

"Let me tell you something about CC Babcock: she’s a hell of a woman…" he suddenly said much to Niles’ surprise.

"I’ve noticed that."

"…Pretty and smart and sophisticated and…did I mention pretty?"

"Yes."

"Right, but she is also a Babcock, you see, and as such she can’t just break the family tradition and wear her heart on her sleeve, if you know what I mean…"

"Actually I don’t," Niles derailed his little speech, and so Max shifted in his seat and looked at it from a different angle.

"George is a good catch."

"And he made a huge investment in your next project."

"That’s right," Max admitted.

"So if CC decided for whatever reason to call off the wedding, what would happen to your project?"

Max imitated the flushing sound of a toilet and giggled about his own joke. Niles just nodded.

"And you can’t risk that?"

"No I can’t, I mean…what are you getting at, old man?" Max wanted to know.

"You are willing to sacrifice CC’s future happiness for a lousy 2 million dollar investment?"

"You come up with it…"

"I would in a heartbeat if it meant that I could keep CC from making the biggest mistake of her life…"

"And marry George? I agree." Max said and yawned lazily.

"You do?"

"Absolutely. The woman is clearly still in love with you. Everybody knows that, even BB… hates it, but certainly knows it…"

"And yet you can sit there and complain about your 2 million dollar investment to me?"

"Why not? It’s business," Max said and smiled a disarming smile at him. It was wasted on Niles at this point. He hit the brakes and pulled over into the emergency lane.

"Let me tell you something, Maxwell Sheffield, if you think for one moment that I will just stand by and watch CC make the mistake of her life just because you will get a healthy investment for your next movie out of this, you’re sadly mistaken!" Niles proclaimed rather outraged. He knew from experience just how ruthless Max could be when it came to securing his investments, but this was taking it a little bit too far for his taste.

"I didn’t expect anything less from you…" Max admitted.

"Then you might as well get ready for me to… you didn’t?"

Max leaned back in his seat and looked away from Niles, losing his train of thought for a moment. He was finally getting sleepy.

"You know, I’ve always suspected that CC was a little infatuated with me," he said when he was ready to continue their conversation.

"Now here’s an understatement…"

"No, you know what I mean, that after Sara’s death, she thought she might have a chance…and she probably did…think that at one point, but today I realized that I was really just flattering myself."

"Well, there are only so many years you can waste on a man who doesn’t even know you’re in the room with him..." Niles considered with some bitterness.

Max nodded and shrugged his shoulders with an apologetic smile.

"You always knew when she was in the room, right from the beginning if I am not mistaken… Niles, I think I owe you an apology. There was a point where I would have given anything to have Sara back, anything… but it wasn’t up to me, I wasn’t that lucky…you are, old man. And in a way I envy you…"

"What about Fran?" Niles wanted to know. He was beginning to put two and two together.

"Apples and oranges… would I trade her in for Sara if I could? Funny, I was thinking a good deal about that today and you know what… I don’t think so… Everything is different now, the children are different. I am different… I couldn’t go back. I wouldn’t want to…"

"That doesn’t make Sara less precious; you know that, don’t you?"

"Don’t worry, none of that guilt stuff for me, that’s Fran’s department…" he added with a tired smile and looked back at Niles.

"Don’t let her slip away for all the wrong reasons, Niles…You were absolutely right, I was willing to sacrifice CC’s happiness for my own selfish purposes… and I didn’t like the idea of you showing up and turning everything topsy turvy. I betrayed you both, and I’m sorry. I really am. I guess I learned a good deal today..."

Niles was speechless for a moment. That turn he didn’t expect.

"Now the good news is that it really isn’t too late for you to change CC’s mind about the whole thing… trust me…" Max continued and smiled at his longtime friend and confidant.

"Easy for you to say," Niles sighed and suddenly it felt like good old times. The times when the two of them used to share things over a good game of gin at the kitchen table after everyone else had gone to bed…

"How badly do you want her back?" Max asked with another yawn, rather sleepy all of a sudden.

"Talk to me, Dr. Jung," Niles said and put the car back in gear. He pulled out of the emergency lane, back onto the Freeway and hit the gas. He had wasted too much time as it was. Max didn’t say another word, and when Niles turned to see if he was just thinking about an effective course of action, he realized that Max was sound asleep.

Great. That much for the good news…He pushed the gas pedal even further and flew down the 405 heading for Mullholand Drive. How badly do I want her back? Badly enough to come up with something really desperate if I have to…

He had no idea how she had done it, but when he pulled up in front of the Sheffield residence, CC’s black Corvette was already parked to the side of the main entrance. Fran came back out of the house when she heard Niles drive up and turned on the front porch lights.

"What did you do? Take the shortcut?" she wanted to know when Niles got out of the driver’s seat and walked around the car to open the other door. He sent her a ‘ha-ha-very-funny’ look and pointed at Max.

"We had a little heart to heart conversation on the way over…"

"And what? You can’t keep your foot on the gas and talk at the same time? Never mind. Did you find out what happened?" Fran wanted to know and peeked at her sleeping husband in the passenger seat.

"Between him and CC?"

"No between Michael Jackson and the 14-year-old boy…" she snapped and pointed at the Corvette. "She’s out, too. So what now?"

"We put them to bed," Niles simply said.

"And that’s that? How is that going to help anything?" Fran wanted to know.

"I don’t know, he was the one with the bright idea."

"What idea?"

"I don’t know, he fell asleep before he could tell me…"

"Great," Fran said and sighed. She looked from one car to the other and sighed again.

"He did apologize, however… and Fran whatever it is the two of you were fighting about earlier, I think it’s going to be all right…"

"Really?" Fran wanted to know and for the first time this night her eyes softened.

"Yes. He admitted that you were right, and CC’s wedding is going to be a big mistake."

"Well, the wedding as such isn’t such a bad idea, it’s her choice of second husband that’s not working for me… Niles, would you marry CC again?" she suddenly asked and caught him completely off guard. Niles stared at her for a moment as if he wanted to make absolutely sure that he could give her a well thought about answer.

"If she’d have me…" he said slowly but instantly shook his head. "Oh, who are we trying to fool? It’s not going to work, Fran. How in the world could anyone make her change her mind at this point? You know CC."

Fran nodded and thought for a moment before she bit her lower lip and reached for Niles’ arm.

"What if CC doesn’t have to change her mind," Fran said slowly. "What if George does?"

Niles thought about it for a second before he shook his head.

"Why would he? He is the one who asked her to marry him."

"Yeah, but what if George finds out what happened tonight?" Fran continued with a sneaky smile and slapped Niles’ arm.

"I don’t understand. Nothing really happened tonight other than…"

"Well, then you better get to work, mister…" she interrupted him with a wink and a dirty smile. Niles stared at her in total disbelief.

"You don’t mean what I think you mean, do you?" he said and slowly shook his head. "Oh no, that wouldn’t be right…I mean, that would be taking advantage of the fact that…"

"Well, do you want her back or not?" Fran said sternly and turned around when Max let out a painful little moan. "We better get moving here…the dead are starting to stir. So what is it going to be Romeo?"

"I couldn’t…." Niles insisted, but Fran just made a face and shook her head.

"Not like you haven’t done it before…after all you were married to the woman."

"Yes, but that was then. Now she is about to marry another man in a couple of hours."

"Exactly," Fran said and started to pull Max out of the car. "Are you going to help me take him upstairs or do I have to wake up Thompson?" Fran wanted to know, when Max was holding on to the seat unwilling to let go. "Hello!"

Niles still didn’t move. On his way here he had already decided that he would do whatever it would take to win her back, but this was low. Really low, even for a very desperate man…or was it? Does not the end justify the means? Is it not more important to save CC from making a huge mistake than worry about what it will most likely look like in the morning? She’d understand. Wouldn’t she do the same in my position? Would she? Only what if she wouldn’t…

"Niles I am risking a hernia here… would you mind?" Fran complaint when she almost had to lift Max out of the seat. Niles snapped out of it and pushed her aside before he bent down and hoisted Max over his left shoulder, heading for the house.

"Where do you want him?"

"In the bedroom…where else?" she added with a grin and slammed the car door shut.

"Keep an eye on CC for me, will you?" she heard Niles’ voice behind her.

Fran nodded. Yeah, like she is going anywhere in a hurry…

When Niles returned a couple of minutes later he found Fran leaning over the Corvette watching a very peaceful CC sleep like an angel.

"You know, I could almost like her like this," Fran mused and turned away from the car. "Did you put him to bed?"

Niles nodded.

"Not like I don’t have years of experience…" he said, and Fran agreed silently.

"It would be nice if everything was back to normal. I mean, you and CC next door… I kinda miss it."

"Me too," Niles admitted. "It’s been a rough couple of years…"

"Niles? How can you be so sure it will be different this time?" Fran suddenly asked and made him smile.

"Well you see, I’m not… But I know now that the old saying is true: you don’t know what you have until you’ve lost it…"

"You think CC’s come to the same conclusion?"

"Oh, I hope so…now I better put Cinderella to bed before she turns into a pumpkin."

"I thought that was the carriage?"

"It was, but in her case I wouldn’t be so sure…" Niles said with a hint of his old spark and opened the door to CC’s car. Fran smiled and started to turn away.

"Well, I’m sure you can handle it just fine from here on…good night, Niles," she said but Niles reached for her hand before she could go.

"Oh and Fran…?"

She turned around again.

"Thank you," Niles said sincerely. "Without you things would have been very different…"

"You mean CC would’ve been married to George without you even knowing about it?"

"That, too," Niles said with a warm smile and gently kissed her cheek. "Good night, sweet princess."

He watched her disappear into the house and stared at the task before him… CC was sound asleep and judging from the expression on her face she was deeply engrossed in a rather pleasant dream. Niles leaned over her and tenderly kissed her closed eyes.

"I love you, baby. I always will."

He slid his hands under her legs and lifted her out of the car, closing the door behind him with his foot. As he crossed the lawn separating her house from Max and Fran’s, CC stirred a little and put her arms around his neck.

"Where are we going?" she wanted to know only barely awake.

"We’re going home, darling," Niles said firmly and the smile she gave him made everything else ok.

The sunlight flooded into the room like a fleet of angels announcing the new day with trumpets only for CC to hear. She smiled and rolled over to the other side of the bed, snaking her arms around the man next to her with a satisfied little sigh. She had this fabulous dream last night… Max was there, and he was drunk, and then he kissed her. Her smile got a little bit wider if that was at all possible. And then there was Niles… wasn’t it Niles? No, it couldn’t have been… She felt a hand firmly reaching for her, exploring her body with soft, careful strokes; someone caressing her neck, whispering something into her ear and… she felt the weight of his body rolling over her before his lips gently found hers. CC smiled, and he used the opportunity of her barely opened lips to softly search for her…

Then she felt his lips separate from hers, his body moving away…

"No, don’t stop…" she moaned sleepily and finally opened her eyes. When Niles’ bright blue eyes met hers she let out a little scream and jumped up in sudden horror. "Oh my god!"

"How did we get from ‘No, don’t stop’ to ‘Oh my God’?" Niles wanted to know, sitting up on his side of the bed. He was just buttoning his shirt when CC scrambled to pull the blanket away from under him to wrap it protectively, and unnecessarily, around her body. She had just realized that she wasn’t wearing any clothes…

"That’s what I would like to know," she said sharply.

Niles smiled weakly. This one was too good for him to pass up…

"In less than five minutes, baby," he said but CC was much too disturbed to find the humor in his remark. She looked around the room as if she had never seen her own bedroom before. Well for one, I have never seen my bedroom in such a state of disarray before…Good God, what did we do in here??

"What happened?" she wanted to know, her eyes still wide open. And when he didn’t answer right away… "Oh no!"

"Oh yes."

Niles was putting on one shoe while looking for the other.

"What time is it? George! Is it today?" Her slowly returning memory recalling the occurrences of the last couple of hours was starting to put things into perspective. And it wasn’t a perspective CC enjoyed very much. No matter from which angle she was looking at it… She jumped out of bed letting go of the blanket.

"You mean your wedding? Yes."

The violent throbbing in her temples was almost too much to bear when she slowly started to pick up her clothes off the floor, only to throw them into one untidy pile next to the bed.

"Good God, this is terrible. How am I… what am I going to say to George, and…how the hell could this happen???" CC angrily threw his other shoe at Niles, but he managed to duck away.

"You were pretty drunk last night," he admitted and couldn’t help but enjoy the view of her perfectly rounded body bending over to pick up her stockings from the floor.

"And that made it all right?" she wanted to know.

"Define it."

When she realized that he was watching her, she growled and quickly pulled a sweater out of one of the drawers.

"Don’t you dare look at me like that," she barked at him. She was angry and confused and genuinely embarrassed. All around.

"Like what? Like a man who is still madly in love with his wife?" Niles said with such sincerity that CC hesitated and looked at him for a moment. What angered her more than anything was the fact that she could barely suppress the warm and fuzzy feeling she woke up with this morning…

"Ex-wife!" she corrected him a little less harsh than he expected. "And anyhow, don’t say that. Not now. Not ever… oh Niles, what am I going to do?" she pulled the sweater over her head, completely dismantling whatever was left of her former hair-do and sank back onto the bed. "How can I ever face George again?" she moaned and when she fell face forward into the pillows she started to cry more out of frustration than anything else. George… he’d never understand, and she couldn’t even blame him. She wasn’t too happy about it herself. All she could do at this point was blame it on the massive amounts of alcohol and see how far she could get with that…

Niles moved closer and silently pulled her into his arms. He took a deep breath. Steady old boy, you just did what you had to do… He started running his hand through her short blonde hair, and the smell of heavy lavender intensified his senses, bringing back a fleet of old memories.

"Now don’t cry. We’ll figure something out, I promise…" he said softly and kissed her hair. She reached around and pulled herself up into his embrace. His arms felt strong and comforting to her…

"Yeah? Like what? That’s kind of a hard one to explain to your future husband the morning of your wedding, don’t you think?" she said while cleaning her runny nose on her sleeve.

"It all depends on your future husband…" Niles said softly and when she looked up at him, she still had tears shimmering in her eyes. He loved her eyes, too… Without thinking he reached for her face and gently kissed her lips. He felt her grip on his arms tighten and almost whimpered when she started to kiss him back. They remained in each other’s arms for a while before CC leaned back a little.

"How come I can’t remember anything else?" she suddenly changed the subject and studied his face. This time it was Niles who felt the throbbing in his temples, and he didn’t have too much alcohol the night before as an excuse. "I mean, I remember Max being pretty drunk. We were dancing and then we…" Suddenly CC Babcock blushed.

"And then you what?" Niles wanted to know, still holding her close. His eyes narrowed a little.

"Hell, we were drunk, we had an excuse, but you…? Were you drunk, too?" she suddenly asked in a very insecure voice.

"No, I wasn’t. What happened with Max?" he insisted when CC suddenly smiled and pushed away from him.

"Not much, really…You mean, you were sober?"

"Not much sounds like a little too much for my delicate taste…" Niles said and his face darkened even more. There was obviously something that Max didn’t bother to mention when they had their little talk in the car…

"Niles, I think you’re jealous."

"I am not! What happened?"

"You are upset because Max and I… that we finally…" she paused there on purpose. She was driving him absolutely mad, and she started to enjoy it.

"What? Woman spit it out! That Max and you did what?" His unexpected flash of jealousy flattered her, and so she pushed it up a notch further.

"Well, you know…nothing like what happened in this room earlier, obviously…"

"I would certainly hope not. After all, you didn’t even have time to… or did you?"

CC had to laugh now. There was a touching quality in the slowly rising degree of his infuriation.

"No, silly, we didn’t have the opportunity, and frankly…he’s really not…well, he is an excellent kisser of course…"

"Spare me the details."

She sat up straight, her arms still around Niles’ neck and pulled him closer until they sat eye to eye.

"You know, after all those years of chasing Max around, the hopes and dreams of being with him one day… and many sleepless nights spent pondering how it would be with him… I have never actually kissed the man until last night. I mean really kissed, you know, mutually…"

"He kissed you? That dirty rotten, sorry excuse for a …"

"Will you let me finish for heaven’s sake?" CC shook her head even though she was still smiling. The revelation she had about Max last night was one of the most valuable lessons she had learned in a long time: That the wanting is oftentimes much more exciting than the actual having… She had always thought that Max was the man she wanted, she had chased him and tried to seduce him and all in vain. And with every pass she made at him and every advance he turned down, she wanted him a little more…And then when he kissed her this morning and for once she saw real desire in his beautiful dark eyes, desire for her… it wasn’t all that exciting anymore. It wasn’t exciting, because all she could think of while Maxwell was kissing her was Niles, standing on the verandah covered in a magical veil of silver moonlight, smiling back at her…

She watched him carefully rein in his temper and just stare at her. His face was stern as he narrowed his eyes even more and nodded shortly.

"So, what happened?"

"Well that’s just it, Inspector: nothing happened," CC admitted and by admitting it to Niles she finally admitted it to herself. It wasn't Max she wanted, not anymore... "Absolutely nothing. No circuits shorting out in my head, no fireworks going off in my stomach… just plain nothing."

"Well, you were drunk…" Niles offered, visibly relieved, but then he realized what she was really trying to tell him, and he looked up at her. CC nodded slowly.

"I was drunk when you kissed me…"

"What?"

"Wasn’t I? On the verandah… And I can’t begin to tell you what happened in my head, leave alone my stomach… but what am I saying? I must be completely out of my mind…" CC interrupted herself.

"And straight into your heart, baby…" Niles whispered almost voiceless, but she tried very hard to ignore his tender remark.

"I am going to marry another man in a couple of hours, and I am sitting here telling you how you can still make me feel all hot and heavy after all these years…" She was completely lost in his eyes now… "how you… oh damn you, Niles…"

Their lips met with such passion that neither one of them was prepared for the impact. They fell back onto the bed and started up again where they had stopped only a couple of minutes ago.

"You can’t go through with this wedding," Niles whispered while she was placing hungry little kisses all over his face. She loved his face… always had.

"No I can’t, can I? Or can I?" she muttered, before he covered her mouth again, barely allowing her to come up for air. "But I will. I have to…there are three hundred people out there expecting me to get married in a couple of hours, and I am here with you…"

"Yes, isn’t it wonderful," Niles said breathlessly, burying his face deeply into her perfumed hair.

"Yes. No! Niles." She pushed him aside and looked at him, her breath heavy and her eyes now filled with desperate determination. Somehow she still had this silly idea that she owed it to George to go through with this ridiculous wedding. After all he had been very good to her, and they couldn’t risk losing his investment, now could they…? CC sat up and pulled her sweater back into place. And nobody had ever questioned her passion for Niles, it was the living together that had turned out to be a disaster…Why would it be any different this time around?

"Niles. I will marry George, and nothing will change that. Nothing," she said firmly and got up from the bed once and for all.

At precisely that moment she heard a familiar voice coming up from the hallway beneath them.

"George!" She covered the room with only two long steps and hastily locked the door.

"You—not a word!" she ordered Niles, who unwillingly got up from the bed. She pushed him into her walk-in closet and ran back to the bed to straighten up the worst.

The knock on her door almost sent her flying.

"CC? Are you up, darling?" she heard George’s unmoved voice. "Your mother and I are getting worried about you."

"I’m up," CC said and tried to sound as calm as possible. She looked down at herself and realized that she was only wearing a short knit sweater and nothing else.

"Can I come in?"

"Noo!! I’m fine. I will be down in a minute," she promised, keeping her voice as normal as she could under the circumstances, and when she passed her mirror she moaned in agony. But she did have that certain sparkle in her eyes… She looked closer and lost herself in her own image in the mirror. She hadn’t felt that good about herself in months… hell, who are you kidding, years…

"You are aware of the fact that our guests are starting to arrive, of course," George’s voice was a little more intense this time, and she sighed and turned away from the dresser. "And I think we need to have a serious talk before we go out there…."

"I will be right out," CC repeated and sank onto her chair as she listened to George’s footsteps disappear in the hallway. What a mess! Where to start at this point?

For a second she had forgotten about Niles, who now slowly emerged from her closet. She looked up at him in his black tuxedo pants and the half-opened white dress shirt, his jacket neatly folded over his right arm. Why did you do this to me? Why did you think you had to? Why can’t you just ask me how I feel about you…about George…just once?

"All right Rapunzel, how would you like me to descend from the tower without being noticed? I can’t just sink into the ground, even though that would be my exit of choice right now… so, any clever ideas?" Niles wanted to know, trying to make light of the situation while checking out the windowsill.

"I thought that was your department…" CC said sadly but didn’t move from the chair. "And anyway, shouldn’t you be down there, setting up? Somebody has to cater this wedding…"

"I have people working for me who do that, remember… so I think the caterer should be the least of your worries."

CC looked at him in a very strange way.

"Actually, the caterer is the most of my worries right now," she said slowly, still watching him search for ulterior exits. When her words reached through the dark cloud of his unpleasant thoughts, Niles hesitated.

"Say that again…"

"I said, I think I was very foolish…"

"To let me cater the wedding?"

"Yeah, you got it. Sometimes I wonder if all that Pledge didn’t leave some permanent damage after all," she muttered more to herself and got up to reach for a pair of jeans. For the moment the spell was broken.

Niles watched her put on her jeans and somehow he wasn’t so proud of his plan anymore, all of a sudden he felt quite miserable. What if she really wanted to marry George after all? What if he was wrong about her feelings… Maybe he was just seeing what he wanted to see. Wouldn’t be the first time. In the end you’re just as bad as Max… you’re trying to ruin her wedding for your own selfish reasons, and yet…she kissed you back. And she wasn’t drunk this morning…she said you can still set off those fireworks, didn’t she? And then I made her believe we…

"CC, I have to tell you something. No, I don’t have to, but I want to," he said when she was completely dressed and reached for her arm to get her full attention for a moment.

"What?" CC wanted to know harshly and looked at his hand on her arm. In her mind she was preparing to deal with George in a minute. George and about three hundred invited guests, mostly from his side of the family…

"Well, since you’re determined to go through with this wedding, I might as well make this a lot easier for you… and George. Nothing happened last night, darling. At least not between you and me…" Niles confessed out of nowhere.

CC stared at him as if she had just encountered the ghost of Hamlet’s father and then looked away, out of the window, for a moment. It was a lovely summer morning. Warm and slightly breezy… The first day of the rest of her life… with George. Now she didn’t have a good reason to call off the wedding even if she wanted to…

"You mean… we didn’t actually…?" she asked slowly before she turned back around to face Niles.

"No, we didn’t. I couldn’t…" he admitted and smiled at her as if simultaneously chewing a lemon. CC nodded.

"I’m sorry to hear that. Nothing permanent, I hope…" she wanted to know with a straight face. It was the age-old story about old dogs…

"Very funny."

"Isn’t it…" she said with only the shadow of a smile hovering over her face. He couldn’t tell if she was getting ready to laugh or to cry though.

Behind her Chester was chasing a ground squirrel around the old cherry tree. He couldn’t catch it, he never did, but he had to chase it anyhow…Force of habit.

"So now that you single-handedly restored my honor, I can go ahead and still marry George, right?" she suddenly asked following an awkward moment. She looked at him with unbroken intensity.

"If that’s what you really want, what will make you truly happy, yes." It took a lot for him to say it, and she noticed the slight trace of resentment in his words, but it was barely noticeable. "I want you to be happy, baby."

CC nodded again.

"And what about the fireworks, the ‘straight into your heart’ part?" she suddenly wondered. Now she was definitely fighting back the tears and Niles almost flinched. Wasn’t it what she wanted him to do at this point: set her free, let her go… They say that if you truly love something you have to let it go, and then if it comes back to you…if she wants to come back to me…you are such a fool!

"You tell me," he said losing his voice together with his confidence.

"George is never going to believe that nothing happened here between you and me this morning," CC changed the subject instead and wiped away the first trace of an oncoming tear.

"Then why in the world would you insist on marrying a man who doesn’t even trust you?" he asked her, almost desperate now in his attempt to clarify her intentions.

"Because given the facts, and even if we didn’t actually… well, he would still be right, wouldn’t he? Because something did happen here this morning," CC said with a certain urgency before she looked back out of the window. Chester was still running in circles around the tree, barking his heart out, while the squirrel was long gone… what a silly little dog he was. And how persistent… She loved him so much.

"I’m glad you noticed it, too," he whispered. If she would only give him a hint, a direction…

CC took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Can’t you just come out and say it? Or at least ask the right question, so that I can say it? I’m a Babcock, God dammed…

"I’ll kill you if you leave me like this…"

"Please don’t marry George," Niles finally burst out, encouraged by her words. CC slowly opened her eyes and looked at him.

"What the hell took you so long?"

"Oh I don’t know. The not unreasonable fear of rejection, given the circumstances…" he admitted reluctantly when CC locked her arms behind his neck and playfully kissed his lips.

"What more did you want? Smoke signals?" she finally wanted to know with the most radiant smile. She was so relieved… There had been a moment when she seriously thought she had to go through with the wedding. Not because she wanted to, but because she couldn’t think of one good reason not to…well, one good reason that she could actually use as an argument. Now Niles had just given her that reason, and it was simple enough, and she intended to use it…

"Let’s go downstairs and tell everyone," she said, burning with sudden excitement.

"Wait a minute… are you absolutely sure about this?" Niles asked when she started to pull him away with her.

"What? Now you’re trying to talk me out of it?" CC wanted to know before she unlocked and opened her bedroom door.

"Your guests are down there…"

CC did not answer and stepped out into the hallway.

"George is down there," Niles added but still with the same effect.

As he followed her down the stairs, somewhat unable to fully comprehend what had just happened up there, a door close to CC’s bedroom opened and the most adorable little princess in her most beautiful little blue dress walked out. Niles had to stop and stare at his daughter come down the staircase behind them. Janie looked at her mother holding her father’s hand and her face simply lit up.

"I had the strangest dream last night," JJ said when she realized that she had her parents’ undivided attention.

"You and me both, angel…" CC said and looked back at Niles for a second.

"I dreamt that daddy was here all night and that he tucked me in and promised he would never go away again…" Janie said and when Niles bent down to reach for her she threw herself into his arms with such an impact that he almost lost his balance. She giggled and Niles picked her up and kissed her forehead.

"Did he mention anything about mommy…" CC wanted to know with a warm smile and her daughter nodded enthusiastically.

"Sure did, and he said I could have a puppy and…"

"JJ!" her mother scolded her, and she made a face.

"Ok I made up the part about the puppy, but he did say that we all would go on a long trip."

"I think that’s quite enough now."

"Actually, I did," Niles interrupted at this moment and smiled at CC sheepishly. "I thought Greece would be nice, or Italy. I’ve never been to Italy…"

"Me neither…" Janie agreed and when father and daughter both raised their eyebrows and looked at her, CC had to smile again. So much alike…those two. And I kept her away from him so it wouldn’t show, wouldn’t be there all the time, right in front of me…his smile on her face. And now? I think, I love her all the more for it…

"See," Niles added and she finally nodded. She kissed her daughter’s cheek and hesitated when Niles offered his. There was an unexpected rush of happiness that CC couldn’t explain…the thought of them going to Europe, travelling as a family filled her with such joy that she had to fight hard to suppress more tears…

"I am touched, really," George said at this moment and skillfully destroyed the magic of the moment. CC had no idea how long he had been standing there, watching them. "But may I kindly remind you that you have a wedding to attend in less than an hour… So maybe we could hurry things along here a little… First of all…"

"First of all I have the funny feeling that you might not be the one walking down the aisle in an hour from now," CC interrupted and her eyes challenged him.

"Is there anything you would like to tell me about last night?"

"I wouldn’t know where to start…" she admitted willingly and bit her lower lip. "Let’s face it George, you don’t know the first thing about me, really."

"And he does?" George wanted to know pointing at Niles, when he noticed the state of Niles’ clothes.

"At least he tries…" CC allowed and Niles had to smile. Trying to understand her was all you could ever do with a woman like CC, and frankly he considered it a huge part of her charm.

George looked from CC to Niles and back to CC when he finally realized what must have happened this morning after the party was over and his face changed to a darker shade of purple.

"I can make this really easy for you George. I would like to…" CC offered softly. She had nothing against George; he had always treated her fairly, and she had best intentions to return the favor. She just didn’t want to marry him any longer.

"You are aware of the fact that this will be all over the papers by tomorrow…" George said rather coldly, and if that was his foremost concern, he had just made CC’s decision a lot easier.

"Oh come now, old chap, simply look at it as a business deal," they suddenly heard Max’s voice behind them and turned around. He and Fran stood in the doorway, hand in hand, ready for the wedding they had come to attend. "You win some, you lose some…"

"I never looked at it as anything else…you of all people should be aware of that." George replied very much to CC’s surprise.

"What?" she asked, looking at Max for an answer. This better be good, Maxwell Sheffield…

"Oh no, you’re not going to put this on me now," Max defended his position and pointed at George. "I thought it was just a happy coincidence…that’s all."

"Come now Sheffield, no woman walking this earth is worth two million…"

"I disagree," Niles entered the conversation.

"You would." George said it as if Niles had just used a very dirty word.

"So do I," Max agreed with his old friend and knowing something that George C. Lee with all his millions behind him would never discover, they smiled at each other.

"Right. That of course coming from a man who married his children’s nanny…"

"And what exactly is wrong with that, if I may ask?" Max wanted to know carefully. He felt Fran’s hand on his arm, trying to hold him back.

George displayed the face of a man who had just stepped on a snail during a hot summer day and without wearing his shoes…

"You don’t want me to spell it out for you, or do you?" he replied with a rather naughty indication. "There are children in the room…"

It only took Max a couple of steps to cover the hallway and do what Niles had wanted to do ever since he had first met George C. Lee… He planted his right fist in George’s face and hit him with all the impact of an angry man, defending the honor of the woman he loved, before they both went down.

"Oh my God," Niles heard CC’s intake of breath behind him when he reached to help Max up from the ground. He aimed for George again, but Niles pulled him away and pushed him against the back of the staircase to calm him down.

"You’re going to regret this, Sheffield." George was feeling his chin, making sure that nothing was broken and scrambled to his feet. "

I swear you will…"

"Well, there’s not going to be any swearing in my house…" Stewart Babcock finally interfered. He had been watching the scene from the top of the stairs and started to come down now. He could have done it earlier, but then he didn’t want to spoil it for Maxwell…

"Your house?" BB asked. She had just come out of the guestroom and was standing only a couple of steps behind him. Like Stewart she was still in her robe...

"Can we discuss this later?"

"Whatever you say, dear," BB agreed to everybody’s surprise when Stewart stopped in front of George and placed his index finger on his chest.

"You know what, George? You’re really a sorry excuse for a man…"

"You didn’t say that when you took my money…"

"No, but I should have. And you want to know why?" Stewart started to brush off some dust from George’s jacket before he continued.

"Not really, no…"

"I do," CC said at this moment and her father looked back at her and smiled.

"Because I have the most wonderful daughter a father can ask for and her happiness means a lot more to me than your lousy 25 million."

"I can ruin you." George suddenly offered, revealing a side that CC had never seen him display before… but then what do they say about desperate dogs caught in narrow corners?

"You can try," Stewart considered without losing his smile. "You can sue me and take my company. You can arrange for me to lose my house and the yacht, and the condo in Aspen, but you know what George? You can do all of that to me and have me stand here before you without a penny in my pocket, and I am still a richer man than you…"

He poked his finger into George’s shoulder, nodded at him and watched him storm out of the house without another word before he turned to look at his daughter. CC had to admit that she was mighty impressed with her father’s words.

"You really mean that?" she wanted to know and reached for Stewart’s hand.

"You bet your bank account, angel face."

"Oh please, I am still living off the interest from the last time she did that…" Niles said behind them and made them both smile again.

"Who ever said he wasn’t the perfect match for you?" Stewart wanted to know and put his arm around CC’s shoulder. He looked at BB as if it was pure coincidence.

"Well, I have to admit he grows on you…" BB admitted from her place on the staircase and Stewart sent her a disarming smile, when she finally came down to join her family. There was something to be said about a family of brilliantly witty people…

"He certainly has a way of doing that…yes," CC remarked, until she realized the double meaning of her own words and blushed heavily.

At this moment the front door flew open and DD rushed in, all dressed in a beautiful blue gown, matching Fran’s…

"Hello, hello, I am terribly late, I know, I hope I didn’t miss anything?" she chirped in best family tradition and slammed the door shut behind her. Everybody looked at her.

"I’d say that depends on who you’re asking," her father was the first one to gain back his power of speech. DD looked at him and smiled.

"Father. I didn’t know you’d be here…I would have brought the chainsaw…You guys are aware of the fact that you have a whole wedding thing going on out there on the lawn, right?" She looked at her sister who was dressed in jeans and a knit sweater and frankly, Niles didn’t look that much better… but at least he had stayed within the theme… "Guests and all…"

"Oh my god, the wedding," CC suddenly realized and looked at Niles. "What are we going to do?"

"What do you mean, we?"

"Well, the groom is kind of out of the picture…" she pondered, "and unless we can find a quick replacement…"

"That could be arranged," Niles offered and waved at Max to give him his tie. "Did you have anyone particular in mind?"

"As a matter of fact, I did. I do…" CC said softly and smiled at him. She watched him button his shirt best he could and put on Max’s tie.

"I know, darling, but you have to say it to the nice tall man out there in the black robe…" Niles said and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

"What about me?" they heard Janie’s voice behind them.

"You’re too young to get married, sweetie," Fran said lovingly and put her arm around her. She took Max’s hand and squeezed it. She was so proud of him, defending her honor like that… This was more than even she could have hoped for. And who says I am a hopeless romantic? Stress the word, hopeless…hello?

"You can go out there and tell everybody the wedding will take place just as originally planned, but we’re going to be a couple of minutes late," Niles said and winked at his daughter who willingly took off for the verandah, pulling DD along with her for reinforcement. He looked back at CC and smiled at her.

"You know, most of these people out there are actually George’s guests…" he suddenly considered and CC nodded.

"Yeah, but did you get a good look at them? Half of them won’t even notice that it isn’t George walking down the aisle…" she said.

"And the other half will stay for the free food. Trust me," Fran added with a smile. "And you better go and change into something more…"

"Appropriate?"

"That, too. And you might need some help with your hair there… why don’t I come upstairs with you and we’ll figure something out," Fran offered and followed CC up the stairs, leaving everybody else in the hallway.

"You’re absolutely sure you want to give this another try?" Stewart addressed Niles, still his trademark smile on his face.

"Well you know what they say…"

"Yeah, third time’s the charm," BB answered instead and reached for Stewart’s hand. When Niles wanted to say something clever, BB raised her hand to stop him. "Keep it for the honeymoon, Butler Boy. You’ll need it. And we better go and get dressed or this will turn out to be the oddest wedding… I mean, considering the fact…"

"You better stop while you’re ahead dear. Now come on," Stewart interrupted, winked at Niles and pulled BB back up the stairs with him.

CC was hardly listening to the words of the minister although she had no doubt that they were beautiful and touching. She had her own thoughts about things…So finally the wedding of her dreams! A little more turbulent than she had expected, but what an ending! For the first time in her life she got exactly what she wanted, and she knew exactly that she wanted it…how many people can say that? She looked at Fran and Max who looked so in love… She had always envied them, but now she knew that everything in life happens for a good reason, and she wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. She wouldn’t be here today without the last ten years, and she wouldn’t have known what she lost before. Her eyes wandered to JJ. Look how happy she is…she is practically beaming with happiness, just like her mother…CC felt the oncoming tears and tried to suppress them as best she could…after all she didn’t want her wedding pictures taken with her make-up all smeared… They had the most wonderful little daughter and now they could be a family again, no, not again…Now for the first time they could be a family! She was ready for it. Wanted it more than anything, just as she wanted him…CC looked at Niles and smiled when he winked at her. She doubted that he was really listening to the words of the minister either. He was watching his guys getting the food ready on the tables next to the verandah…

What made it so different this time? Made her so different? Maybe it was the fact that she wasn’t rushed into things…she hated to be rushed, and being rushed into a wedding was not a good thing for anyone. And in a hospital… This time it had been her conscious decision to say yes to the man she loved, and she felt good about it. And now it turned out to be such a beautiful day after all, so perfect and happy. The wedding she had always dreamed of…

CC saw the little squirrel carefully coming closer to the tables approximately at the same time as Chester. She smiled at the little creature’s curiosity, whipping its bushy little tail in excitement…when she suddenly realized that they had decided to make Chester the ring bearer, the satin pillow carrying their wedding bands securely strapped to his back…

Chester took off after the squirrel before she could have said a word. Her eyes widened as Chester tore past the minister, ripping the leash right out of Janie’s hands…

"…to celebrate in peace a union so perfect," she heard the minister’s last words before he, too, turned to watch Chester take off over the lawn. From the corner of her eyes she noticed Fran, picking up her dress and running after the dog… closely followed by Max and her father. CC couldn’t help it she had to laugh.

"I was beginning to wonder if we were at the wrong wedding," Niles finally agreed and looked at her, "Everything so solemn…"

"You mean, so unlike us?" CC wanted to know still laughing.

By now half the wedding guests had gotten up from their chairs and were chasing poor Chester around the tables on the verandah…the pillow on his back was barely hanging on to the side and God only knew where the rings had ended up… When CC noticed her mother and sister already on their hands and knees, searching the lawn, she almost lost it.

"Careful now, you’re going to hurt yourself," Niles said barely suppressing a smile himself and reached for CC’s hand. "So, Babcock, I never got a chance to ask you to marry me, this time around."

"Isn’t it a little late? I mean we are halfway through the ceremony…"

"Yeah, but look at them. By the rate they’re going it can take all afternoon…" Niles said and pointed at a crowd gone wild. It seemed everybody had way too much fun chasing the poor dog around the garden…maybe the interruption had been a welcome one for all of them. CC was finally getting her laughter under control and signaled Niles to come a little closer.

"You know what I think? I think, you just like to be on your knees before me…" she whispered and gave him a very seductive smile.

"So you do remember some things…" Niles replied.

"I remember how you used to give me regular coffee instead of decaf to keep me up all night…" She sighed and looked into his eyes. They had almost no color at all in the bright sunshine of this beautiful summer day. "Did I ever say I love you?" she suddenly wanted to know and after thinking about it for a moment Niles had to shake his head.

"Well, I should have…maybe things would have been different."

"They’re different now and that’s all that matters," he said.

CC reached for his jacket and pulled him closer.

"I love you, Hazel," she whispered and his next response died in a long and passionate kiss, completely taking his breath away.

"Let’s go upstairs…" CC suddenly breathed into his ear when their lips unwillingly separated. Niles shuddered and looked at her with a surprised smile.

"What about the wedding?" he wanted to know, when a group of guests still chasing after the dog caught his attention, and he turned to look at them.

"We’ll hear Fran and Sylvia cheer when they finally find the ring, don’t worry…" CC reached for his chin and turned his face back into her direction. "So what do you say?"

"I still like the way you think, woman," he had to admit and let her willingly pull him away with her, heading for the backdoor of the house.

Epilogue

Max was standing slightly to the side, leaning against the cherry tree and watching this circus of a dog chase with some obvious amusement, when he noticed Niles and CC escape into the house. He had to smile… If there were ever two people made for each other…and to think that I almost ruined it for them... He shook his head.

And then Fran caught his eye, carefully crawling closer to the table with the desserts, keeping an eye on the young waiter and pretending to look for the lost ring while coming close enough to reach for a piece of coconut lemon pie… That’s my girl! And I wouldn’t want her any other way, really… Without her CC would have been married to George C. Lee by now… and what a disaster that would have turned out to be, no doubt. Fran was right, somehow he couldn’t picture George sneaking upstairs with CC in the middle of their wedding ceremony… dog or no dog.

Max heard a bickering noise above his head and looked up into the tree. There it was, the little fat squirrel that started it all, watching the chase with growing curiosity; rooting for the dog, most likely… He suddenly remembered CC’s story about the Chinese boy, trying to kiss the moon in the river… what a beautiful metaphor. The things we want in life, the sacrifices we are willing to make for them. Things we cannot reach; things only near to us in their deceitful reflection, while in reality thousands of miles away… and don’t we all like the idea of reaching out for the unattainable? Each and every one of us in our own special way? Trying to kiss the moon, wherever she might present her graceful smile… inspiring us to write that beautiful piece of poetry, cover that empty, white canvas or built that tower of glass… Never-ending beat of our hearts. And yet we can never stop; must not stop, for it would be the end of all our dreams…

Drunk or not, some of us will drown, while others… will live happily ever after.

A very special thanks to SME; I couldn’t have finished it without your continuous input and unfailing support… And thanks to Sabine for beta reading it for me. What a job! You guys are the best!!

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