A/N: Hi guys! I'm so glad quite a bunch of you seem to like this story. So here's the next chapter for you. I hope you'll still find it entertaining and leave me a review. :)
Chapter 1:
"Okay, so what exactly happened back there?" Cathy asked the minute they set foot back into her house.
"Nothing," C.C. tried shrugging it off "we just bumped into a mutual…" She let the sentence dangle in the air unfinished, uncertain of how best to label Niles.
"Friend? Please, C.C., you two looked ready to lunge at each other."
"No, there were too many witnesses around." She muttered dryly, grinning for the first time since the incident.
"Still, I'm not letting you off the hook so easily. I've met Niles a couple of times and he was always pleasant and funny. What on earth did you do to piss him off so much?"
C.C. swallowed and stayed silent for a moment. Although she had left the Sheffields years ago it felt painfully familiar to be the fall guy again, to have people assume that it was her who'd been in the wrong. At least she knew that it was futile trying to justify her actions.
"It's a long story, Cathy," she said tiredly and sank down on the sofa.
"Well, Tom isn't back for a while and-"
"No," her voice was firmer now "I'm not prepared to share it. Why don't you ask Niles? I'm sure he'll be happy to tell you his sob story."
"Damn you're bitter," Cathy commented with a shake of the head and then walked over to the cabinet to fill two glasses with Whiskey "sounds as if you two were involved."
"Oh it was nothing like that," C.C. sighed and leaned back while rubbing her temples.
"Yet you're still willing to pretend to be his date?" Cathy questioned and then joined her on the couch.
"It's only for the weekend and…it's not about him…it's about his parents." She wasn't entirely telling the truth but it was easier for her to focus on this reason rather than the other.
Across town, Niles and his mother had made it back to their hotel as well.
"It's a shame we only got to talk to her for a second," Marie sighed and Niles cringed inwardly.
"Yes but you know how it is when you bump into an old friend. Suddenly there's so much catching up to do and well…me she can have every day."
"Not if she keeps working and travelling so much," Marie pointed out with a gentle smile that only made him feel guiltier.
Clearly she was under the impression that he was disappointed by C.C.'s quick departure and only putting on a brave face for her benefit.
"True, but still I understand her." He replied.
"Then I've brought you up well," she nodded "and I'm sure she'll join you here later, won't she?"
Niles swallowed. He hadn't planned this far but of course it would only be natural for them to spend the night together. "Yes, of course." He hurriedly confirmed "She knows where we are."
"Good," Marie smiled apparently satisfied "I'll leave you to it then."
"Goodnight, Maman." Niles said and leaned in to peck her cheek.
"Goodnight, sweetheart." She returned the gesture and then opened her room and left him behind in the corridor.
Still feeling guilt-ridden Niles hung his head in shame and trudged down the hall and to his own room. Lying to them suddenly seemed so despicable when all he had really wanted was to put their minds at ease. But he didn't have the time to properly dwell on this now. Instead he toed of his shoes, sat down on his bed and picked up the phone, dialling the number Cathy had given him at the Christmas market. It took a couple of minutes before somebody answered.
"Hi, it's Niles."
"So quickly?" Cathy replied, chuckling amused "Missing your girlfriend?"
"Oh shut up," he grumbled "can you just put her on?"
"Sure," she said and a moment later C.C. spoke.
"What now?"
"My mother pointed out that you as my girlfriend would probably be spending the night here."
"You know some couples don't share a bed until they're married," C.C. intersected, rolling her eyes at the other end of the line.
"While I can see why that would've been your previous experience as no man would want to catch your fleas or God knows what else, I don't have time for this. We're staying at St Giles Classic Hotel, Bedford Avenue, my room number is 305. I'll see you here in an hour."
"You can't just-" C.C. started but closed her mouth again when the beeping sound told her that the call had been disconnected. "He hung up on me!" she announced incredulously to Cathy who still seemed mildly amused.
"So what did he say?"
"He's expecting me to just drop everything and join him at his hotel room in an hour."
"You know some people would find that prospect exciting," Cathy grinned broadly from ear to ear.
"Yes well, some people aren't me and Niles. Who does he think he is?"
"You did agree to play along so technically…" Cathy hesitantly started.
"Will you stop enjoying this?" C.C. snapped and refilled her glass with Whiskey which she quickly downed before getting to her feet.
"I'm trying," Cathy answered with the hint of a compassionate smile "but it is rather difficult."
"I can see why you'd be friends with Niles," C.C. muttered and headed upstairs to fill the small suitcase she'd used as her cabin bag with some toiletries, clothes and other things she might be needing for an overnight stay at a hotel.
When she had packed everything she quickly popped back into the living room. "He said they're staying at a hotel on Bedford Avenue. How do I get there?"
"The tube," her friend smiled as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
"You expect me to cram myself into an overcrowded train to then spend a miserable night with a man I loathe?"
"Pretty much," Cathy shrugged and fished a little underground map out of her purse "I'm sorry but I'm not going to drive into the city centre again…I did it once for you today, the tube won't kill you. Oh and look," she pointed at the map she had unfolded by now "it's easily accessible, four stations in the vicinity. I'd head to Tottenham Court Road though if I were you."
"Thank you very much," C.C. muttered in annoyance and stomped back into the hall where she grabbed her coat and her scarf and slipped into her boots "I hope your evening will be as horrible as mine."
But Cathy didn't comment on it nor offer any words of encouragement. She'd known C.C. long enough by now to let her rant and blow off steam until she calmed down to a more civilised level again.
Her suitcase in hand C.C. angrily slammed the front door shut behind her and trudged into the direction of the underground. But just a few steps later when the tube sign was in sight, she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and dialled the number she'd seen sprawled across several vehicles that day.
"Yes hello," she said sweetly when someone picked up on the other end of the line "I'd like a taxi from Parsons Green underground station to St Giles Classic Hotel, Bedford Avenue please."
She arrived more than half an hour later than the time Niles had proposed to her because traffic in the city had been so bad. But feeling no sense of remorse and if anything being rather pleased with her decision not to take the tube, C.C. knocked on his door. When he opened, he seemed rather anxious with slightly dishevelled hair that looked as if he'd been running his hand through it a lot.
"Where have you been? I was just about to call Cathy again."
"Dear God, Niles, pull yourself together," she commented, rolling her eyes "you're acting as if your mother is checking up on you every five minutes to make sure you aren't alone."
"Well no but…in case she does you need to be in this room with me." He mumbled sheepishly and waved her in.
C.C. stepped inside, inspecting the place while humming to herself. "At least it looks better in here than on the outside," she finally declared and sat down on the bed to pull her boots off.
Niles remained near the door, obviously not sure how to behave around her which, truthfully, suited her fine because she was more comfortable with him keeping his distance. Pretending to be his girlfriend at the Christmas market had already cost her enough energy. But eventually the silence became too awkward even for her standards and so she stood up again and started to put some of her things into the wardrobe next to his, not that she had packed very much. She then moved into the bathroom to distribute her toiletries as well and afterwards returned to the main room to scoot her suitcase under the bed.
"Why didn't you unpack everything?" Niles asked curiously and frowned.
"Because there are some things I don't need you to see," C.C. replied coolly while lying down on the bed.
"Like what?" his frown deepened.
"Like my delicates," she pressed out, surprised that he hadn't gotten it straight away "Lord knows what you'd do with them."
"What would I do with them, Babcock?" he challenged with a scoff "Sniff them? Fondle them? I'm not some pervert, you know."
"Well, I don't know what kind of weird things you might be into."
"That's rich coming from a woman who once tried to seduce me with a sock puppet." Niles commented dryly and strode over to the window.
"I don't know…you might've liked it…" C.C. muttered to herself.
"Because I'm into weird things?" Niles challenged again.
"Yes! For God's sake you're the guy who finds it funny to propose to me four times!"
"Funny?!" Niles exclaimed, his voice somewhere between a loud bellow and a pained yelp "Is that what you think it was?! Funny?!"
C.C. glanced at him afraid of what she was about to see but a rapid knock on the door tore her attention away again. Niles sighed, looking suddenly a lot older as he strode across the room to open it.
"Oh Maman!" he sounded surprised even though C.C. knew that he had been expecting her.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," his mother said with a playful glint in her eyes that grew bigger when her eyes fell onto C.C. who was still residing on the bed.
Eager not to give her any ideas, C.C. quickly got to her feet and joined Niles by the door who in a gesture that seemed to cost him a great deal of effort, wrapped his arm around her waist. "You weren't," he then hurriedly denied "is something the matter?"
C.C. remained rigidly where she was, their bodies touching lightly at their sides. It had been a while since a man other than her brother had been this close to her and a part of her was struggling against the possessive nature of the embrace while the other part enjoyed the painful familiarity. She vaguely noticed that she hadn't been paying attention to the ongoing conversation at all and that merely the words "hospital" and "father" had registered.
"I'm sorry, my mind was elsewhere," she interrupted suddenly "did you say something about going to the hospital?"
"Yes, tomorrow morning, dear," Marie explained with a smile "my husband will be so pleased to finally meet you."
She opened her mouth to point out that she'd already made plans for the next day but Niles grip strengthened around her and so she closed it again.
"9 o'clock will be fine, Maman."
In the silence that followed C.C.'s stomach rumbled so loudly that both Niles and his mother turned to look at her. She started to apologise but Marie quickly cut her off. "Niles, where are your manners? Haven't you been hospitable to your girlfriend's needs?"
"She…she didn't mention she was hungry, Maman!" Niles explained half-stammering like a child who knew he'd done wrong and was about to me punished. And truth be told, C.C. had a really hard time not breaking into gleeful laughter. Perhaps this pretence deal wouldn't be so bad after all.
"Well, now you know," Marie repeated firmly "so I'll leave you two kids to it. Order some room service and have a nice evening."
And with a meaningful wink she wandered down the corridor and out of sight. Niles groaned and closed the door firmly behind her.
"You did that on purpose," he muttered.
"Oh yes, I've trained my belly to rumble on cue," C.C. rolled her eyes, freed herself of his embrace and walked back to the bed "Though your mother was right, you aren't taking good care of me, snookums. Let's order some room service."
"I don't really feel like splurging lots of money for mediocre food, Babcock."
"In that case I'm sure you wouldn't mind popping out and fetching me something you consider to be more suitable." C.C. remarked with a lazy smile while stretching out.
"Keep dreaming," he scoffed.
"Maybe I will…or maybe I should just tell your mother that you are still neglecting me."
"Oh fine…have your bloody room service," he grumbled and reached for the menu which he angrily flung her way.
Triumphantly C.C. picked it up and started to settle in for a night that could be more enjoyable than she had initially thought.