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A/N: Thank you so much for the great response to the first chapter :) Here's chapter two I hope you like it!
Blind Date- Chapter Two
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"She said you were smart!" C.C. remarked, frowning at him.
"Well she said you were good-looking and I'm not complaining!" Niles replied seating himself down in the chair across from her.
The blonde rolled her eyes before saying in a deep, almost seducing voice, "I would insult you back, but it's 'Be kind to Animals' day."
Niles smirked challengly and leaned closer to C.C. until her red lips were only a few inches away. "Then please give that face back to the gorilla." He shot back. Good one, he thought to himself.
C.C. couldn't help but fight a slight chuckle, "Oh, clever! I bet you were up all night trying to come up that one." She replied outwitting him once again.
Niles made a little, contemptuous noise in his throat in return, a noise that seemed like an ironic laugh yet nothing like a laugh. "You know Miss Babcock as much as I like the dis-pleasure of your company; I am going to go now," Niles finally announced, pressing down on his hands and pushing himself out of the seat.
"Awww, do you really have to leave so soon?" C.C. asked him putting on a fake pout, "I was about to poison your…" but her train of thought was cut off suddenly when her eyes glanced unconsciously over Niles' right shoulder and dropped upon a small, familiar group of blonde women, chatting and laughing while eating their meals just a few tables away from them.
"You're not going anywhere." C.C. snapped suddenly.
"Why? What's wrong?" Niles asked, slightly puzzled by her mood change while sitting back down in his chair.
"Don't look, but two friends of mine are right over there!" C.C. said and nodded in their direction with wide frightened eyes.
"Friends?" he asked emphasizing the 's', his expression arranged into one of shock and disbelief "…as in plural?...as in more than one? Wow…I mean…wow… I never thought I'd live to see the day… aww, I'm so proud of you, my dear!" Niles exclaimed, pretending to wipe away an imaginary happy tear.
"Oh shut up!" She yelled a little too loud while giving Niles her famous ice cold glare, but covered her mouth with her hand and lowered her tone of voice when she realized that a few heads had turned in their direction, ''this is serious." She whispered leaning closer at him after she made sure that none of them belonged to her friends.
"Why? Are you afraid of them or something?" Niles asked slowly turning his head to follow C.C.'s line of sight, but she stopped him almost instantly by grabbing his head and forcing him to look at her.
"I said don't look!" C.C. exclaimed and picked up the menu to hide behind it before motioned for Niles to do the same. "And yes I'm afraid…afraid that they'd see you and then they'd remember you serving them their drinks during the opening night of the latest Sheffield-Babcock Production … and then… they'd see me…" C.C. took a deep breath in "…and then they'd connect the dots…"
Niles looked confused. "The dots?"
C.C. rolled her eyes. "Niles, I know it's hard for you, but please try to use that thing between your ears. We are together, Sunday night, at an expensive French restaurant with a particularly romantic atmosphere, wearing matching red roses. Don't you understand? The whole thing screams DATE!" She exclaimed once again, still behind the menu, trying to look like she was actually having a hard time deciding what to order.
Niles shrugged his shoulders, "So?"
"They'll tell everyone that we were on a date!" C.C. exclaimed peeking slightly over the top of the menu, trying to figure out whether or not they had spotted her as well even though they were currently starring in the opposite direction of her. "My God! If people found out, I would die of embarrassment," she whined. Truth to be told, C.C. had never wanted to die as much as she did right then.
"Well, too bad I'll probably have to work the day of your funeral. You see I always put business before pleasure." Niles joked however when he didn't get a witty reply back like always did, started to get really worried and he tried to reason with her, ''Miss Babcock, I think you over-reacting, besides I would hardly call this a date…a date from hell on the other hand… "
C.C. let out a deep breath and lowered her menu, her tone low yet full of authority and anger, "These women are like walking infections they will spread the rumor that I, C.C. Babcock dating someone so outside my social class in no time, ruining my reputation forever in my circles. I know this first hand, they're my closest friends. And before you make any smart ass comment, yes I still have a reputation despite your constantly attempts to ruin it," she hissed at him and with that she fell silent, her chest rising and falling rapidly in anger, when she spoke up again however there was no longer anger or authority in her voice, only fear and sorrow, "just…stay a little longer."
Niles sighed, he knew he was doomed to stay from the very moment he had heard the first hint of sorrow and fear in her voice, yet he didn't want to appear too eager, so he decided to annoy her a little bit more before give in, "Only if you say the magic word," the butler said in a sing-song tone of voice.
C.C.'s mouth dropped open. "That's not gonna happen, Rochester." she answered firmly.
"Well, you want me to stay or not?" He pressed again, amusement dancing in his eyes, knowing by the irritated look on C.C.'s face that he had already won.
"Ooh, you are so gonna pay for this later, Hazel! C.C. thought darkly to herself then hissed through clenched teeth, "please!"
"Well, since you asked so nicely, I will stay." Niles replied while a small, just noticeable smile curled his lips, something that didn't go unnoticed by C.C.
"Niles?"
"Yes?"
"Did you just smile?" C.C. asked and as quickly as it had appeared, his smile was gone.
"So, what now?" Niles asked avoiding her question by changing the subject.
"Just try not to attract anyone's attention, with a little bit of luck they will leave soon and so we."
To be continued…
