Niles stood at his brother's door, unable to take his eyes off the woman by his side. Daphne truly was a vision in the form-fitting red gown she was wearing. The sting of her words at the ball, when she'd told him what a great actor he was, had subsided some. He did his best not to let his disappointment show.
"Thank you again for a lovely evening," Daphne said. "I felt just like Cinderella at the ball!"
Cinderella never looked this beautiful, Niles thought. "I'm glad you had a good time."
"It was one of the best nights of me life. I bet your friends will be talking about the two of us for a while!"
The comment made his heart ache again. "Well...whatever we did tonight, it was all thanks to you. Your dance lessons were a great help."
"I'm glad I could help you. I've been so worried about you, you know."
Niles couldn't believe what he'd heard. Daphne was concerned about him?! "You-you have?"
Daphne laughed. "Of course. I think what Mrs. Crane's been doing to you is just awful. You're a very sweet man, and you deserve better than that."
Niles' heart soared."Oh, Daphne," he whispered. "Thank you so much."
"You're welcome. Now, I'll just kiss you goodnight, and you can be on your way."
Before Niles could even react, Daphne's lips were on his. It was not a passionate kiss, like the one they'd shared on the dance floor. This was a small, gentle peck, but still, it made Niles' heart race. "Daphne...don't go in just yet." He barely heard his own words.
"Dr. Crane...is something the matter?"
Niles took a deep breath, hoping to steady himself. "I think I need some fresh air." He turned toward the elevator, pressing the "up" button. When Daphne looked at him in confusion, he explained, "It's such a beautiful night. Let's go see the view from the roof."
"All right. That sounds nice." She slipped her hand into his as they waited for the elevator to arrive.