Back to Fan Fictionby
IvanaBgood
(sandwench@yahoo.com)
The room was beautiful. The entire house was flawless. Her aged eyes took in her sumptuous surroundings and she sighed in contentment as she sat on the Chippendale armchair.
A few feet away Grace’s long brown hair swung as she skipped down the stairs. As her foot stepped off the last riser, she noticed the older woman sitting quietly near the piano. She walked over grinning happily. Having a great-grandmother like hers made life more interesting and a lot more fun.
"Hi Yetta!"
Young, bright eyes watched as the woman’s slight figure slowly reacted to her greeting.
Yetta heard her name and squinted up and saw the friendly eyes smiling back at her. It warmed her heart that her Frannie was married and had three beautiful children.
"Hot pants?"
Grace chuckled softly. "No, that’s my sister. Schmuey is the boy and I’m the little one. Grace."
"You’re the little one?"
The young girl looked down shyly. "I’ve grown some."
Yetta’s lined face gentled into a smile and she took the teenager’s hand into her own and patted it lovingly. "Hello Angel."
"Would you like something, Yetta? Ham and eggs? You eat ham right because Fran said that pork is good for the complexion... or maybe Sylvia said that."
Yetta carefully looked around and then her voice dropped down to a loud whisper. "I don’t think the ushers will like that. I’ll wait until intermission."
The young girl looked confused.
"This," Yetta pointed towards the living room, "is the best play I’ve seen. And the longest running one too. Why don’t you join me?"
Not wanting to be disrespectful, Gracie pulled up the other Chippendale chair and sat down next to Yetta. Just as she opened her mouth to ask a question she was shushed.
"It’s starting." Then Yetta hmph’d. "It’s only the bit players. That blond one looks like my Sylvia."
Grace watched Fran’s parents enter the room from the hallway.
"I can’t believe you Morty. How many years have we been married? How long have you known me?" Sylvia propped her hands on her wide hips and snapped her gum as she glared at her husband.
"Fifty years and I’ve known you for fifty years and three months."
Sylvia’s eyes widened in surprise and her head leaned to one side as she looked at her husband in adoration. "That’s right! Aw, Morty, you remembered!"
Morty shrugged, "Of course I remembered. I bowled a perfect game the day I met you." His eyes darkened, "And fifty-five years to the day, your Aunt Edna stepped on my best shoes at our wedding reception."
"They were your bowling shoes!"
"And they got scuffed by her red clodhoppers. I never could get the mark out," he sighed sadly.
Sylvia’s arms fell out to her side as she exclaimed to no one in particular. "My husband does not have one romantic bone in his body!"
"Shh, Sylvia – don’t talk dirty outside the bedroom."
"Headliners," Yetta nudged Gracie as Fran walked in, followed by Maxwell.
"Ma!" Fran frowned as she set two plates down on the coffee table. "Will ya hold it down?"
"Yes," CC remarked as she stepped into the room, "you’re scaring the rats."
Fran jumped on the couch. "What rats?!"
"There’s a big fat one coming right now," CC answered as Niles walked in with a tray full of food.
Maxwell watched in shock as CC stuck her foot out to trip Niles.
The butler easily hopped over the offending high heel without missing a step, the food laden tray adeptly balanced on one hand. He quickly caught CC’s eyes and smirked as she hid a smile.
Fran gingerly stepped down off the couch. "It’s time for lunch. Since the kitchen is being renovated and everything got pushed into the dining room to give the workmen space, we’re eating out here."
Sylvia sat down in the overstuffed armchair. Maxwell joined Fran on the couch and CC sat in the matching armchair.
Morty shoved his hands in his pockets and looked around. "Where am I going to sit?"
"Over with Ma, Dad." Fran gestured him over.
"I ain’t going to fit in there. Sylvia get up."
Sylvia stood up and grinned as her husband sat down. "You want me to sit on your lap?"
"What – are you kidding me? The big bowling championship is on tonight and I need both of my legs to function."
"Dad!" Fran’s mouth fell open and she shook her head firmly at her father.
"What?! It’s an important game. I’m playing for the best deli in town."
Fran’s eyes widened, "Tommy’s Salamis?"
Morty’s chest huffed with pride. "That’s right. We’re playing against Megan’s Vegans."
Sylvia shook her head, "Can you imagine? Those kooks think that vegetables are good for you. I tell ya, you can’t get a body like this eating peas and carrots. I mean, why mess up a hamburger by sticking lettuce and tomato on it? It’s taking up space where another patty could go."
Her husband nodded in total agreement.
"Now where am I gonna sit?!"
Maxwell cringed at Sylvia’s strident tone.
"Dad scoot over and let Mom in there."
"Frannie there isn’t any ‘in there’ left," Sylvia retorted. "Your dad has been snacking on Tommy’s Salamis for years."
"Hey, hey! I’ll have you know that I’m the same weight as when we first met," Morty exclaimed.
Sylvia’s eyes rolled. "Is that why they posted a new sign at the deli? ‘Maximum Occupancy: 55 Patrons or Morty Drescher’?"
Gracie smothered a giggle. Yetta was right. This was a great show!
"You can sit here Sylvia," CC offered as she stood up.
Niles watched under hooded lids as CC sat next to Maxwell on the couch. His lips that had curved upward at Sylvia’s joke immediately changed direction.
"Those two," Yetta leaned closer to Grace and pointed to CC and then to Niles, "are in love with one another, but they don’t know it yet. And those two," her fingers pointed towards Fran and Maxwell, "just got married. They’re at that frisky stage."
Gracie blushed, but nodded.
Fran leaned against her husband. "Oy, I begged the birthday god year after year for Ozzie and Harriet, but I’m stuck with Gomez and Morticia." When Max didn’t say anything, she glanced over and saw him grimacing as he looked at his plate. She followed his gaze and giggled. She picked up her fork and immediately speared the pickle and placed it on her plate.
"You realize that if you eat that thing, you will not get another kiss from me."
Fran laughed as she watched him tear the crust from his sandwich. "What are you doing now?"
"It touched the pickle. It’s tainted now."
She rolled her eyes. "You can be so strange sometimes." She took a bite and then she made a face at the sandwich-half in her hand.
"Me? I’m not the one about to go on a treasure hunt," he chuckled, knowing what was coming next as he watched Fran spit delicately into her napkin.
She then opened her sandwich and searched for celery bits.
Maxwell took another bite and after washing it down, spoke, "This always happens. Why haven’t you informed Niles that you don’t like celery in your tuna sandwich?"
"I keep forgetting," she scrunched her nose as she found another offending green piece and pushed it to the side of her plate.
Maxwell took her plate and went through her sandwich with a fine toothed fork. "Alls clear," he presented her food back to her.
"My hero," she cooed and batted her eyelashes at him.
He chuckled, "Thank you."
Fran then took a sip of her lemonade and made a face.
"Now what’s wrong?"
"It doesn’t taste that good anymore. The ice melted too much." She threw Maxwell’s glass a longing look and then grinned at his put upon sigh of annoyance.
He took his unused straw from the table and gallantly held it upon his arm as if he were presenting a sword, "My lady."
"Thank you, squire." She took the straw from him.
"Squire! I should at least rate a knight." He took the straw back, unwrapped it and placed it in his drink, before nudging the ice tea closer to her.
"Mmm," Fran took a long sip and then picked up the pickle and took a bite.
The look of disgust on Maxwell’s face almost made her choke in laughter.
"No kiss for you!"
"Oh, you are so going to kiss me!" Fran put the pickle down and placed her hands on the sides of his face.
"No, I’m not! Fran, stop!" He tried to twist away, but Fran gave him a quick smack on his lips. "That’s vile!" He wiped his lips with his napkin and took a long drink, draining his glass with Fran’s laughter in his ears.
Meanwhile, Niles walked over to serve Yetta and Grace. He wondered at their quietness as he handed them each a plate. "Here you go, Yetta - lunch." When she didn’t take the plate he raised it up higher to her face.
Yetta sat up straighter and pulled back in her seat. "Whoo-hoo 3-D!" She held onto her glasses and grinned excitedly. "What a show, eh?!" she nudged the young girl again.
Gracie smiled and took both plates from Niles and set them on the small end table.
"Niles, where’s my plate?" CC asked.
"Here."
"There’s nothing on it."
"You mean you wanted food as well?"
"Niles," Maxwell chastised.
The butler sighed dramatically as he served her a sandwich. CC laughed at him silently, loving that Niles got in trouble because of her.
Maxwell’s eyebrow rose as he felt something rub against his calf. He looked down and watched Fran’s shoeless toes trace little circles on his leg and felt an immediate reaction. His wife grinned knowingly as her husband cleared his throat in embarrassment.
"Fran," he reprimanded lightly, as his face quickly became red. Then in a louder voice, "Where are Margaret and Brighton?"
"On dates," Fran answered just before biting into her sandwich.
"Both of them?" Maxwell asked in astonishment.
"Mmhmm." Fran chewed, and then swallowed. "Margaret went to a study session because she likes her Geology professor. She asked to wear my short blue chiffon skirt. It’s the perfect thing to wear when you want to find out if a man has the hots for you. She’s going to drop her pencil, you see, and when she bends over and he turns to look..."
"What?!"
"...and of course I told her, ‘No! No daughter of mine is going to seduce her professor wearing that cute blue skirt!’"
"Good!" He pats her thigh, "See I told you that you’d make a good mother. So tell me about my son – quite the Casanova." Max grinned proudly.
"Uh... yeah. Mr. Casanova is dating an Ewok."
"A what?"
"Ewok. You know those cute furry things in the ‘Star Wars’ series?"
"She’s round and furry?" Maxwell asked, puzzled.
Fran elbowed him, "No silly! She wore a costume. They met at a Sci Fi Convention. Melanie is her name. I think his Spock ears turned her on. But now that you mention it, I have a cousin Myrtle who’s round and furry. She could make big bucks if she moved to Hollywood."
All attention turned towards CC when she began to moan.
"Ohhh..." Her legs straightened out as she felt the spasms clear to her toes.
Niles felt very warm as he watched her squirm on the couch, moaning again, as she bit into a cookie. Curiously, he walked over and picked up the white box of cookies. The delicious smell called to his senses and he eagerly picked up a cookie and bit into it. His eyes closed in utter rapture.
"Ohhh... babyyy..." he moaned.
CC stared up at Niles and the old feelings that she always kept shuttered down, suddenly shoved its way out, a hot fire spread across her belly and then branched off to all her erotic zones.
Niles felt her stand up before he set his eyes upon her. They burned for each other and as one, left the house together.
No one knew what to say as the couple departed. Fran stood up and watched them leave in bewilderment. Then she looked at the small box on the coffee table.
"What the hell was that?" Sylvia finally asked as she stuffed the last of her sandwich in her mouth.
"These are Mr. Foo’s cookies." Fran carefully closed the lid of the white square box. "Where did they come from?"
"From me. I want my grandchildren. I bet that annoying Thelma, you know the one who lives next door to your sister and has been gloating about her Gladys getting married to Guido? And you know what he’s known for?"
Fran made a face. "Yeah. Guido is the one who loves to play with his meat."
Maxwell was appalled. "He-he plays with his..."
"Meat. Yep, day in and day out. He doesn’t care who sees him. One time he asked me to move it around."
"He what?!"
"The man was not shy," Fran scrunched her nose.
"I loved moving it for him," Sylvia said dreamily.
Maxwell rushed over and covered his youngest daughter’s ears.
"Now Gladys is in charge of his meat," Fran said. "Do you remember when he carved chess men out of Vienna sausages?"
"It was the best game I’ve ever tasted."
"Stop mooning over Guido’s sausage. He was a schmuck," Morty sat back in his chair and patted his full belly.
"He was dreamy," Fran added, "even though he smelled like pepperoni all the time."
"That’s a plus," Sylvia pointed out.
"Yeah, right Ma. Why buy Aramis when a guy can rub a box of Hillshire Farms on his body? Guido was kind of like Danny though. Now I’ve got myself a real man."
Fran walked over and wrapped her arms around her husband’s neck. Then she looked at him curiously. "Max... why are you covering Gracie’s ears."
"She’s much too young to hear about," he whispered in Fran’s ear, "Guido’s meat. I don’t want her knowing about things like that yet."
"Butchers? What’s so X-rated about butchers?"
Max rewound the last few minutes in his mind and his hands faltered and then slowly came down. "I thought that you and Sylvia... never mind."
"It’s okay sweetie, I totally understand." Then she looked at Gracie. "Stay away from butchers. All they care about is how well their sausages hang. Worthy advice," Fran wagged her pinky finger and Gracie nodded as she tried not to smile at her dad’s mistake.
A snore filled the room. Yetta had fallen asleep.
~~~~~
The deafening music reached their ears as soon as they stepped out of the cab. They could see the crowds of people milling around like a swarm of ants.
"Dearest, are you sure about this?" Niles asked as he saw a large twenty foot canvas sign of a grey-haired, scantily clad woman with a snake wrapped around her, a devious smile upon her face. She had no teeth. He pulled his eyes away and shuddered. "This place is full of con artists and lunatics."
CC’s face glowed. The fair was loud and dirty. It glittered; it was garish. The odor of penned animals could be detected – and CC loved it immediately. It was just the place that she always wanted to go to, but was denied throughout her childhood and something she knew she could never ask any of her so-call friends to attend with her. But Niles was different. The cookie’s effects weren’t as strong as before and during the twenty minute cab ride over, it disappeared. But she didn’t let on. This opportunity was too rare, too precious, not to take advantage of. A whole day with Niles and she didn’t have to pretend to abhor him.
"I’m sure."
Niles chuckled as she practically bounced on her toes with excitement. He crooked out his arm. "Shall we?" The kiss she planted on his cheek as she tucked her arm in, stunned him. He reached over with his other hand and touched the spot.
CC smiled as she watched him, then she dragged him over to the cotton candy stand. "One, please."
Together they watched as the woman stuck a paper cone along the sides of a metal bin. The strands of sugar wrapped itself around and around the cone until moments later, like magic, they beheld the pink goodness. Niles paid the woman and wrapped his arm around his date’s shoulders.
"Oh, this is yummy," CC closed her eyes as the sugary confection melted in her mouth. "Almost better than sex."
"Are you sure about that?" Niles whispered and grinned at her reaction to his breath upon her ear.
"A-a-almost," she stuttered.
Just as he was about to nibble on her ear, her back straightened. "Chandler! What are you doing here?"
Niles eyes snapped to the front and his anger towards the man who stood before them seeped into his pores. This was the man who broke CC’s heart. The man who had her and threw her away. His arm slid down from her shoulders, wrapped around her waist, and tucked her closer to his side.
Chandler grinned confidently. "Hello CC – you’re looking as beautiful as ever," he took her hand and place a kiss upon it. "Captivating."
CC heard Niles’ low growl of fury and shuddered again. His jealousy was such a turn-on.
Chandler noticed her shiver and his smile broadened into a lascivious smirk. His arm swept out. "This is one of the many properties I own. I had to straighten out an employee who didn’t follow the rules."
Niles and CC looked over his shoulder and watched as two large barrel-chested men strong-armed a slighter man into a white paneled van.
"It was nice to see you again, Chandler," CC lied and eagerly allowed Niles to lead her away.
"Why don’t I show you around my establishment?"
CC turned around and shook her head. She could not believe that she thought this smarmy man was someone to break a heart over. Of course she only made do because the man she really wanted was out of her reach. But not anymore.
Niles grinned wickedly at her as he felt her hand snake around and pinch his butt.
"No, thank you," she declined as nicely as possible. "I’ll see you around."
"Of course you will. I was just thinking that I should pop over and talk to Sheffield about backing one of his new plays."
CC dropped her chin to her chest. Maxwell would never forgive her if she angered one of his past investors. With a false smile plastered on her face, she pushed a less than eager Niles closer to Chandler. "Chandler this is Niles, Niles this is Chandler."
Both men shook hands quickly, neither wanting to touch the other, but good manners shall prevail.
Niles glanced back at CC and noticed that she was looking longingly at a booth in which a young man in a satin blue shirt was trying to cajole passers-by into trying to win stuffed animal toys. He chuckled warmly. "Would you like a closer look?"
CC nodded and took his hand in hers and practically skipped over.
"Hey mister!" the young man called out. "A dollar a ball. Ain’t a lovely lady like this worth a mere sawbuck? For three dollars, if you hit each stand of bottles down, you win the grand prize!" He pointed to the very large toys in the back.
Niles sighed. He knew a con artist when he saw one. What a waste of time.
"I’ll give it a go," Chandler said, pulling out his wallet. Then he gave the carnie the high-sign.
The young man gave a slight nod and headed over to a table where most of the milk bottles were still lying down. "Let me fix this one up for you." Quickly the bottles were set up so that they would easily be knocked down. He turned around and handed his boss a ball.
CC watched Chandler slam the ball into the milk bottles, all of them falling. With a large grin on his face he presented CC with the small stuffed animal that she reluctantly took.
"Are you going to throw again, mister?"
Chandler looked over at Niles. "Why don’t we let someone else try?"
The young man juggled a ball from hand to hand and looked pointedly at Niles. "How about it mister?"
Niles saw the loutish, over-confident smirk on Chandler’s face and the subtle way CC tried to pretend that she didn’t care one way or another.
"It’s okay, Niles. It’s a stupid game and what will I do with stuffed animals anyway?"
Something primitive broke open inside Niles and he realized that it wasn’t the prizes that were to be won that made men play this game, but it was a man exhibiting his skill to win a woman. In the years when he left the Sheffield’s employment, when he rebelled against the family business, he had run away. Niles had almost forgotten his past, that time when he struggled with what he wanted to do with his future. One of his early jobs, after a stint with a monkey, was working at night in a carnival just like this one. He would take over for anyone who, for some reason or other, couldn’t work that night. He worked in every booth, on every ride, in every fake exhibit.
He reached into his pocket and paid the carnie three dollars. His eyes glittered knowingly as he watched the young man set the bottles up until all three tables had a pyramid of dairy containers set upon them.
"Niles," CC said, "you really don’t have to do this. I have no desire to own one of those... things."
"Are you afraid that he’ll lose and embarrass you?" Chandler teased, then, "It’s of no matter Niles. It’s only a silly game." He said benevolently, but his eyes sparked with challenge.
CC held her breath as she watched Niles wind his arm up.
Niles knew the trick was that the bottom row of bottles was weighted heavily. When he had worked the carnival, he had to demonstrate to the audience that the bottles could be knocked down.
Easily, he knocked all three sets of bottles down, and CC, with a triumphant look at Chandler, chose the large stuffed tiger that hung from the back.
"Shall we try the shooting gallery?" Niles asked Chandler. "Or do you use only brute force and not skill?"
"Try me," Chandler huffed.
"I’m not sure-" CC began, but the two men stalked ahead of her. She gave the young carnie a weak smile and glanced at the huge tiger that almost towered over her. "It is kind of cute, isn’t it?"
"Which?" the man laughed, "Their idiocy or the tiger?"
"Definitely the tiger," CC answered.
The men went from one booth to another. Niles had to work harder because each carnie gave their boss the most advantage, but he tried as if he were competing for his life. Two hours later, CC was weighted down with dolls, stuffed animals, beaded necklaces, plastic mugs, and small mirrors etched with celebrity faces.
When they covered every booth, the men turned and glared at each other. Chandler bested him a few times, but Niles won the most. CC left the pile of prizes down amongst the sawdust and encouraged a group of wide-eyed children to help themselves. She kept the stuffed tiger to herself.
"I’m ready to call it a day," CC announced tiredly. "If you two want to keep going then by all means..." She raised her hand up and made a shoo’ing motion.
Chandler shook his head and after bestowing another kiss upon CC’s hand, left. Niles picked up the stuffed tiger and walked the other direction as CC sadly watched him leave. After a few steps he turned around. His eyebrow quirked flirtatiously upwards and he grinned crookedly at her.
"Coming?"
CC smiled and caught up with him. "You’ll have to do better than that, butler boy, to get that reaction from me."
His chuckles made her laugh. When he wrapped his arm warmly around her waist, she snuggled against him in contentment. He then led her to the woman’s bathroom and without missing a beat, entered with her. As he set the tiger safely upon the counter, he took her hands, soaped them and then rinsed them under warm water. When he did it a second time, their eyes caught.
"Chandler cooties," he replied dryly and then smiled when CC giggled.
Afterwards, when they walked outside, they both took a deep breath and admired the stars twinkling up high, her head tucked against his shoulder and he laid his head atop hers.
"Time to leave," he softly said.
CC pouted. "I suppose so."
They walked in companionable silence, each in their own thoughts, as they looked for an available taxi near the fairgrounds. When they found one, Niles chivalrously opened the door for CC and helped her inside. Then he ran around, deposited the stuffed tiger in the front passenger seat and then sat in the back.
CC sat miserably on one end. She didn’t want the night to conclude. This was the date of her dreams. No airs of self-importance, no boring operas to watch. For once in her life she felt free and she spent it with the man of her dreams. The only problem was he was under the spell of a cookie. Why else would he want to be here with her?
Niles looked carefully over to her and saw the deep scowl on her face. He wanted to scoot over, but he feared that the cookie’s effects were dissipating on her. That’s my life, he thought in annoyance. I have to depend on a magic cookie to get snuggles with the woman who holds my heart in her lovely hands.
When the cookie stopped working on him during the cab ride to the fair, he nervously contemplated on what to do next. Niles was deathly afraid that she would soon come to her senses and toss him out on his ear.
Soon they reached their destination. Niles paid the driver and followed CC to the mansion, unlocked the door and flipped the lights on.
Yetta yawned and rubbed her eyes. She smacked her lips together. I must have dozed off, she thought before spotting Niles and CC enter the room. Their eyes were only on each other.
Niles didn’t want the evening to end because he knew in the morning the never-ending game of pranks and put-downs would begin again. He led her to the couch and sat down next to her. Then he was at a loss at what to do next until his eyes landed upon a small white box on the table. He picked it up, opened it and offered her a cookie.
CC stared at the cookies and then broke down sobbing.
Niles was aghast. "I could whip up another dessert."
CC tried to stop her tears, but she had let down her defenses when the date began and couldn’t put them back up again.
"I don’t want another damn cookie, Niles!"
"What would you like CC, tell me and I’ll get it." He reached into his pocket and handed her his handkerchief.
"You don’t understand anything!"
Gracie was in the kitchen pouring herself a glass of milk when she heard voices. She was surprised to see Yetta still in the living room. Then she saw Niles and CC arguing. Quietly she walked over to help the older lady out of the room and give the bickering couple privacy. She touched Yetta’s arm.
Yetta looked up. "Ah, there you are Angel. Intermission is over, you missed the beginning of the second act," she whispered.
Gracie noticed that Niles and CC were so engrossed with one another that they didn’t spot her and Yetta in the shadows.
"What don’t I understand CC? Tell me. What did I do wrong?"
"You-you... offered me a c-c-cookie!" CC sobbed and turned aside as Niles attempted to console her.
"What’s going on?" Fran held a bowl of popcorn as she nudged Gracie.
Gracie pointed at the dramatic scene and raised a finger to her lips as her dad joined Fran to stand behind her and Yetta.
"You only spent the day with me because you were under some mystical thrall," CC said as she blew her nose.
Fran’s eyes widened as she popped a handful of popcorn in her mouth.
"Me?! You were moaning and groaning right there next to Mr. Sheffield. Trying to get him into your bed... AGAIN!" Niles angrily responded.
Maxwell’s jaw dropped and just as he began to bluster with an exclamation, Fran stuffed his mouth with popcorn.
"Shush," Fran warned him.
"Oy," Yetta quietly said, "look at those two! You don’t get fries and a drink with the clueless combo. Instead there’s a super-size order of foot-in-the-mouth with a generous helping of stupidity."
Gracie nodded in agreement as she sipped her milk.
CC unceremoniously stood up. "I don’t want Maxwell! Get that into your huge British head!"
Niles stood up and glared at her. "Who do you want then? That imbecile Chandler?!"
"I want you! You – okay?! God help me, but you’re the one who curls my toes with a smile and makes me shiver with a glance. Y-O-U!" CC spelled out and waited for his response.
"Is that the cookie talking?"
"No!" CC took the box and spilled the baked goods all over the floor. "I hate these stupid things!" Her shoes stepped on every one. Afterwards, with her chest heaving with exertion and emotion, she gave her attention back to Niles. "Well?"
"It’s going to take me forever to get those crumbs out of the rug."
"Argh!" CC pushed him hard against his chest.
Niles laughed and easily caught her hands in his. "CC..." he then replied soothingly as she tried to pull away. "I’m quite fond of you."
Maxwell rolled his eyes and whispered to Fran, "I know I’m an Englishman and we have a certain reputation to uphold regarding understatement, but that bordered on the ludicrous. My office is the cleanest room in the whole house because of Niles’ need to be around CC."
Fran grinned and took her husband’s hand in hers. Her heart was warming with emotion as Niles and CC finally opened their eyes to each other.
"Fond of me?!" CC spit out. "You’re fond of me?! I just bared my soul to you and that’s all you can say to me?"
Niles gently led her back down to the couch. "I’m filled with doubts. While I’m ecstatic beyond belief that you finally see me as more than a servant... I worry that you are not as serious of me as I am of you."
"How can you say that?" As CC watched his shoulders sag with insecurity she remembered all the times she called him worthless and ordered him about.
"I’m old CC," he shrugged. "The years went by so fast and what do I have to show for it – a clean house and dustpan hands."
"Niles, you’re not that old."
He rolled his eyes.
"So you lent Ben Franklin the key to his kite – you still look good for your age."
CC’s squeal filled the air as Niles pinned her down and tickled her. Her insult was exactly what he needed to hear. A few minutes later as they tried to catch their breath, CC noticed that Niles still wasn’t completely convinced.
She lifted her hands to either side of his face. "Niles, you are beautiful to me." She kissed his forehead. "You are the man I want, now and in the future." She kissed his eyelids, one, and then the other. "You are the one who understands me." Her lips brushed his. "You are my best friend." She kissed him again and felt his breath catch against her skin. "And while that is all good, this is something better." She kissed him again, deepening it gently, stroking his lips with her tongue until he opened his mouth and suddenly he was responding, his hands coming around her, pulling her in close. Her hands moved to his head and pulled him down against her.
Fran covered Gracie’s eyes.
When their lips pulled away from one another, CC knew they had to lay down some ground rules.
"I know you feel bad that I have more money than you, but I inherited a lot of it. You didn’t have that luxury."
"CC, do not downplay your success. I know that you have earned more from working than from what your family gave you. I’m proud of that," he softly kissed her. "And you should be as well."
"I am, but you know what you have that all of the men that I’ve been with never had?"
"A personal autograph from Petula Clark?"
"No! You," she poked him on his chest, "are loyal and reliable."
"You make me sound like a golden retriever," he grumped.
"Niles... don’t you understand how hard men like you are to come by? You put aside your dreams and steadfastly continued in the family business. You made your parents proud. The one thing about you Niles is that you’re generous to a fault. You love helping others and you have been with Maxwell all these years. You’ve given him the courage he needed in his youth and an ear to bend when he had doubts as the years went by."
"I’m giving him a raise tonight," Maxwell whispered, his eyes glistened.
Fran reached up and caressed his cheek.
"What I’m trying to say Niles is that I don’t want you to feel that you need to compete with my riches. Okay?"
Niles nodded. "As long as we're setting up rules, I have one big one." He touched the edge of her mouth with his thumb.
"Go ahead." She caught her breath and grabbed his hand. "Behave! I can't even remember my own name while you're doing that."
"Sorry."
Her eyes narrowed. "You don't sound very sorry. You sound kind of smug."
"Probably because that's the way I feel," he chuckled.
"Okay, what’s the big rule?" Her breath got caught in her throat as he led her up and then down upon his lap. "If we’re to be together, we need to see if we’re compatible."
This time Maxwell covered Gracie’s eyes while Fran covered her ears.
"If we were well-matched and dated I would do this," Niles wrapped his arms around CC and caressed her back. "And my hands would do this." He ran his hands down her arms, his thumbs touching the sides of her breasts. "And I’d kiss you like this." He kissed her softly, lingeringly, in such a way that made her forget every thought in her head.
Her arms went around him, her tongue entwined with his. She moaned when his hand cupped her breast. Then she turned more fully and straddled him.
Niles pushed her away. "Now if by some fluke that didn’t work, what would you do?" He swallowed and was painfully uncomfortable. She was going to drive him mad, but they were sitting in the living room and he knew he had to stop himself from doing what he wanted.
CC could feel how ready he was now against her left thigh. Her heart was pounding, but he seemed cool and unaffected by their kissing – well maybe not all of him was unaffected. "I suppose I would do this." She leaned down and unbuttoned a few buttons of his collared shirt. Her other hand went to his hair and felt its softness and she loved how it twined around her fingers. The buttons opened easily and she slid her hand inside to touch his bare flesh. "Would this meet with your approval?"
"Yes," he whispered.
She put her lips to his neck. Hot, smooth skin with just the faintest trace of whiskers. She touched her tongue to his skin. He tasted so good. "Then I would move on to this..."
Niles could barely hear her over his pounding heart.
CC put his earlobe in her teeth and pulled it gently. He moved his hands from his thighs to hers. She ran her tongue around the rim of his right ear, her breath warm against it. "Would this work?"
"Fine so far," he managed to say.
She began to get creative as she kissed his temple then his eyes and down to his face to his cheeks. She had unbuttoned most of his shirt now and she wanted to feel her bare breasts against his hard chest.
"Then maybe this ear," she whispered and used her tongue to caress his left ear. She had to stretch across him a bit and her breasts felt so good where they touched him. She wanted to open her blouse and feel his mouth on her.
She kissed his lips. And the feel of him made her plunge her tongue into his mouth, ravishing him, attacking him, sucking at his lips, biting his lips; then her mouth and teeth bit at his jawline, down his neck. Her hands began tearing at his clothes.
Niles moaned and with a loud exclamation, pulled her away from him. "We can’t. Not here." His chest heaved. Stopping CC was the hardest thing he had ever done in his life. He was so hard and he knew that any minute someone in the household could walk in on them. So he closed his eyes and tried to will it away.
CC heard him mumbling under his breath. "What are you saying?"
"You’ve ruffled my feathers a bit."
"Understatement of the year," Fran whispered to Max who had to choke back a laugh.
Niles went on to say, "I was reciting some poetry to keep my mind off your delectable body."
"Tell me."
"Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum, þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon, hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon. Oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum..."
CC groaned. "Beowulf. Niles I was hoping for something more romantic. Although your pronunciation of the old English is flawless."
"I was trying to impress you," Niles grinned.
"Bloody show-off," CC retorted with a perfect English accent.
Niles chuckled.
"I know a poem," CC rocked herself against Niles lap and she smiled mischievously as he groaned. "There once was a man from Kent, whose dick was so long it was bent. To stay out of trouble, he stuck it in double, so instead of coming, he went."
"Ha – bloody – ha."
"I believe we’re compatible Niles. Do we have a deal?"
"I think," he said, bringing his mouth very close to hers, "that we are in complete and total accord."
"I think we need to seal it with a kiss."
"It is certainly the only way to make it binding." His voice was husky.
CC smiled at him, and reached up to brush a wayward lock from his forehead. Then Niles kissed her with a deep thoroughness that left her breathless.
Yetta stood up and clapped.
The couple pulled away from each other so fast that CC landed on the floor.
"What a play!" Yetta clapped harder.
Grace bashfully joined her. Then Fran and finally Maxwell applauded.
Niles helped CC up and stared in surprise as Fran, Max, Grace and Yetta stepped closer to them.
"How-" Niles began and stopped.
"What is going on here?" CC scowled at them for ruining their private moment.
Yetta walked over and patted Niles on his back. "Great job, Neal. You remembered your lines and everything."
CC stared daggers at Fran, "I can’t believe that you all stood there and watched us – ooph!"
Fran grabbed CC into a hug and then bounced up and down. "You and Niles are together! EEEEE! I’m so happy for you guys!"
CC frowned at the ex-Nanny and then, "Oh, what the hell!" She gave her a hug and grinned like crazy.
"Good job, old man!" Maxwell shook Niles’ hand.
"I’m so glad that you all are happy for us. I think the only barrier to our happiness is my family. My mother in particular," CC sadly remarked.
"Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc," Gracie quietly remarked.
Everyone turned and looked curiously at her.
"We gladly feast on those who would subdue us," she easily translated.
Niles and CC exchanged a look, smiled and then kissed.
"She’s right," CC said. "No one can stop us from being happy if we want to be happy."
Just then the doorbell rang and Niles quickly walked over and opened it. A warm greeting soon fell from his lips at the beautiful smile that appeared in the vestibule.
The guest’s teeth gleamed with blissful delight. Dark sunglasses atop his nose covered eyes that would make most people assume he couldn’t see at all. What they didn’t realize was that he saw with his whole being. He saw what people with vision could not. For the rest of his senses were attuned to what many overlooked. He saw the beauty of a person’s character and the soft hint of jasmine and Ben-gay gave him the placement of the most gorgeous soul he ever met.
"How’s my hot mama? I know she’s in here!"
Yetta looked over and her whole face transformed at the sight of her fiancé at the door being helped in by a cab driver. For that moment, Fran could see the young beautiful girl that her grandmother was years ago.
"Sammy!" Yetta called out gleefully.
"Love really is the fountain of youth," Fran remarked.
Maxwell knew exactly what Fran meant and wrapped his arms around his beloved wife.
"I’m coming, baby!" Yetta called out and when she reached him, she tucked her arm inside his and then shared an affectionate kiss. "I learned something today." Slowly they walked towards the front door.
He patted her hand lovingly. "And what’s that?"
"Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc," Yetta told him.
Gracie smiled as Yetta threw her a wink.
"What does that mean?"
"We gladly feast on those who would subdue us."
"I’m still lost."
"It means that I get to be on top tonight."
"Yeahhh baby!"
The older couple shared a laugh, an embrace and then they climbed into the cab.
~The End~
*In memory of Ray Charles: September 23, 1930 - June 11 2004. I had the good fortune to see Ray Charles at a Nanny taping. His music gave me goosebumps. He was a true inspiration.
*This story is dedicated to a group of amazing woman who helped me overcome a growing problem in the internet chatworld. You know who you are - my deepest thanks to all of you. You guys are awesome!
*The theatre quote in my synopsis is from the playwright, Mario Fratti.
August 27, 2004
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