Chapter 2: Discovering A New World

Next morning, CC woke up feeling strange. She was a bit dizzy, and could barely remember how fast she had fell asleep last night, after having a terrible argument with her husband.

When her head stopped spinning, she noticed there was something different about her surroundings: where were the pictures of her and Niles from the walls? Where was Niles? She was alone in her enormous bed, in the bedroom she recognized from the penthouse…

She got up and started observing things in more detail. There was no sign of Niles living there. It was like she had lived on her own all of her life, what was, of course, an absurd.

Dominated for a wave of nausea, she took the phone and dialed the number of the mansion. Maybe Maxwell knew what was happening – Niles could have gone there during the night, just to make her feel guilty. Sometimes he would do some really annoying little pranks, just to prove himself right, and the most certain place he would choose to be when she woke up would be the mansion.

'Sheffield residence', Niles' gruffy voice answered.

'Thank God! What do you think you're doing?', she was relieved and irritated.

'I should be the one asking, witch. It's four in the morning. What do you want?'

She gulped. He sounded different. 'Niles… what happened?'

'I have no idea. I was sleeping and the phone rang. I took it and there you were, loonier than ever, yelling at me and saying nonsense things. Have you been drinking?'

Silence. She realized he was not being himself. And he didn't seem to be pretending, once he thought she was not being herself.

'Miss Babcock? Is there any problem? A real one, I mean, not the ones you create in your little head'.

'I… ãhn… woke up and was a bit disoriented'.

'Have you been drinking?'

'NO! God, stop asking it!', she breathed and tried to calm down. 'Listen, I… don't know what happened, but I don't feel all right. Maybe you could… take me here in the morning?'

'I never thought you would ask'. She could sense him smiling.

She smiled back. 'You're trying to take advantage of my weak and confused mind... not that I would mind, but I really need you to come over. I don't feel like I can go to work by myself'. She prayed she worked, in whatever this reality was, or Niles would think she was really crazy.

'I will, miss Babcock. Don't worry'. He cleared his throat. 'Seven o'clock, so you can have breakfast with the family?'

She was grateful by his now formal tone. 'It would be great'.

'See you'.

'See you, baby'.

She turned off the phone quickly. She called him 'baby' without thinking, and it was something she needed some time to think of a suitable explanation.

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CC woke up feeling dizzy, and hearing a background noise.

It was running water. From her bathroom, in her suite.

She frowned. She didn't remember being with someone last night. In fact, she was not seeing anyone, so there was no way she could be with anyone.

The socialite seated at the bed, deciding if she should call the police, when she noticed the photos on the walls: a lot of them, the most of it showing her and… Niles?

Her mind was reeling: what the hell was happening? If it was a prank, it was the prank of the century!

She didn't notice the water had stopped till the door opened and Niles himself, with a towel on his shoulders and nothing more, appeared.

'Darling, I was thinking…', he started.

He kept talking, but all she could do was stare at him, while he moved around the room as he had been living there for a lifetime.

He had damp hair on various parts of his body, what she could see while he was choosing a shirt and some pants, and finishing toweling himself.

He was still talking, and she was observing how his strong arms and beautiful legs disappeared under the clothes, while his melodious voice said some soothing words.

He took two ties and showed to her, and she concentrated time enough to point one of them.

Finally, while making the right knot, Niles seated besides her.

'Do you understand what I mean?'

CC blinked. Oh-oh.

'Well… Maybe you could say it again, in a simpler way'.

'You don't need to act like this… You're an intelligent woman'.

She was a bit surprised by him saying that, but there was no time for thinking about it. 'I'm not acting. Just tell me the same without all the argumentation. Tell me with a few words, so I can see it as you see it'.

'All right'. He thought for a moment. 'I fell like I must make sure Maxwell will do the right thing'.

'And right now, it is…'

'Giving a chance on his feelings for Fran'.

'Ugh. It's always her!'. CC felt like, no matter where she was and what was happening, her problems were still very the same.

'Don't you think she is good for him?', Niles asked, pouting.

She was not going to react the same again, showing her annoyance. She decided to let it pass. 'Yeah, yeah, whatever… Let's forget it. Do what you think it's best'.

'Really? But…'

'Really, really. Tell me… what are the plans for today?'. She said, getting up and starting to examine her clothes, in order to choose something suitable for… well, whatever she was going to discover she would be doing. She stopped time enough to hear his answer.

Niles seemed a bit insecure. 'Well… I have some clients to meet at the office, and I suppose we can meet for lunch at the mansion… Will you be there, or at the theater?'

'I'll manage to be at the mansion. Don't worry'. No way she was going to mess things in a life that was not hers – she would not be doing any work till she discovered what was happening.

'If you say so', he came closer to her and made her stop and turn to him, embracing her. 'But I want you to know that I'll be waiting for your opinion on the matter, sooner or later. I always apreciate your way of saying things, darling'.

CC was wide-eyed, staring at his sweet way of looking at her. 'Y-yes. I know'.

He gave her a peck on the lips and released her. 'I'll prepare something special for breakfast while you get ready'.

Fortunately he disappeared without looking back, and she was able to sit again on the bed, her knees trembling violently.

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The doorbell rang and CC opened the door quickly.

She kept staring at Niles and scanning him for information.

First thing she noticed was he was basicaly the same: the shining blue eyes, the broad shoulders, the formal posture. The hair was a little different, shorter, and the suit was not exactly flattering, but it was good enough for him.

And soon after this first impression, she noticed how his concerned expression disappeared in a second, and soon was replaced by an annoyed look. A bit forced, but enough to cover his worries about her. It was kind of funny to see him doing it.

'I see you're alive', he said in a dry tone.

'I'm sorry'. She smiled sweetly at him. 'Do you want to come in?'

'I have breakfast to serve, woman. I have no time to hang around with your kind'.

'Ok. Just a moment'.

She noticed he was trying to sound nonchalant, but it was clear he was confused about her behaviour.

CC took her purse, locked the penthouse door and followed Niles to the lift.

'If you didn't drink yesterday, what made you feel strange?', he started.

'I have no idea. I woke up confused, with strange memories and feeling alone'.

'And how is this any different from your ordinary waking up process?'

CC rolled her eyes and didn't answer. She had had enough time to take a look at the belongings in the apartment, and was more or less able to say how different this life was from the one she knew.

'I confess I was surprised when you called', Niles resumed the conversation, after some moments. 'After… last night, I mean'.

Oh, God… what happened last night…? CC searched quickly for a suitable answer. 'What do you think I should have done, instead of calling you when I needed?'

'I don't know. I thought your pride would make you prefer to be left alone'.

'It should have, but it didn't'.

The lift stopped, they went to the car. CC could feel there was something hanging between them.

Probably was the 'baby' thing – the fact she had called him so in the phone.

Would he bring it on? Should she do it?

'I take it you were really confused, this morning', again he resumed the conversation, while driving. 'Because you used a term of endearment, earlier'.

Silence. She decided not to comment.

'I'm used to you calling me Butler Boy, Tidy Bow Man, and other equally sweet terms. I can say I was a bit surprised by the word you said'.

'I see…' In fact, she was not seeing anything, because it was very strange to imagine herself calling him this kind of name. 'If you can take it, I have no problem with it'.

Niles looked at her as she had grown a second head. He didn't seem to know what to feel: surprise or annoyance.

Then she decided to do something that could not do any harm, and that always gave good results with her Niles.

She smiled.

And it certainly worked: for a moment, he seemed fascinated by her; then, he smiled back, in an adorable shy way.

And the subject was dropped, as she wanted.

The rest of the way to the mansion was made in silence, but it was obvious that there was a kind of understanding between them. Something she would like to discover the details about.