"Thank God!" Martin exclaimed when the door opened and he saw Daphne enter the apartment. "After you left, I didn't know what to do. I was afraid something might've happened to you!" He stopped abruptly upon realizing that Niles was with her. What further surprised him was the way their hands seemed to be moving closer and closer together. It was a small detail. But Martin had been trained to notice such things, and he began to guess at what had happened after Daphne stormed off.
"You were worried about me?" Daphne asked. "Oh, come here, old man! I'm so sorry I got so cross with you." She walked over to him, hugging him and kissing his cheek.
Martin pulled out of the embrace. "Yeah, yeah. Now that I know you're OK, I think I'll go lie down for a while. That way you and Niles can have some privacy, in case you need to talk about anything." He gave her a knowing glance before leaving the room.
Daphne turned back to Niles. "Well, that certainly was unexpected! What do you suppose that was about?"
"Well, if I know Dad, he probably saw the way I was reaching for your hand. No doubt he's thinking that something's happened between us. I may have mentioned to him once or twice how I feel about you." He blushed a bit.
"You really talked to your father about me?"
Niles nodded. "I've talked Frasier's and Dad's ears off over the years. But I could never quite get up the nerve to tell you...until today."
Daphne sighed. "I suppose I should've seen the signs, but I just never thought that a man like you could ever be interested in me that way."
"Oh, Daphne," Niles whispered, reaching out to touch her cheek. "From the first moment I saw you, I knew I loved you. I might not have known how much, but I knew I felt something. It was your physical beauty that got my attention at first. But over the years, your kindness, your humor, and and so many other traits have made it impossible for me to turn away."
Suddenly, Daphne forgot her earlier words about caution. She'd never heard herself described in such terms before, and it went straight to her heart. Without thinking twice about what she was doing, she leaned forward and kissed him.
Niles was overwhelmed by the sensation of Daphne's lips on his. He never wanted to let go. But eventually, his need for oxygen forced an end to the moment. "Do you still have that red dress?"
Daphne nodded. "Why?"
"So you can wear it, of course. I want to take you out dancing, just like we did at the Snow Ball. Only this time, there will be no acting."
The idea thrilled her. "Sounds exciting!"
"It will be, I promise you. I've waited so long to give you a night like this, the kind you deserve."
Daphne pictured it, remembering from the last time how it had felt to be in his arms. Of course, she had enjoyed it then. But now she had a feeling it would be different, knowing that he was doing it for her and not just to show off.
For so long, Daphne had gone about her day-to-day life, taking care of the Cranes. Many times, she wished she had a different sort of life. Though she loved her work, she often longed for more. Most of the time she settled for living vicariously, reading romance novel after romance novel. By now, she figured that life wasn't like those books, where men boldly declared their love to an unsuspecting woman.
She looked into Niles' eyes, and remarkably, she was reminded of those very romantic heroes she loved to read about. Ever since she was a little girl, Daphne had always loved the story of Cinderella. But now, as an adult, she'd given up on such childish things as fairytales. She kissed Niles once again. As their lips met, she said a silent prayer of thinks for her very own Prince Charming.
The End