A/N: Okay, hopefully anyone who has enjoyed my story will forgive me for being away from it for so a long time. I get super into something, and then let others (the nanny, this story) fall to the wayside. Anyway, I'll try to update more often now!
She wasn't sure why, but all of a sudden his physical touch made Fran uncomfortable. "Oh, Andrew, wow." She said quickly, as she awkwardly moved her hand away from his. She didn't want to hurt his feelings, but she didn't want to lead him on, either. "Um, I'm not sure I'll be able to leave the kids, to be honest." Well, half honest anyway, she thought. "Can I get back to you, say in a few days?" she asked, seeing his face change.
"Sure," he replied, sounding a little deflated. "I didn't mean to sound so forward, Fran." He apologized. "I had a great time today, and I was thinking a few days in Greece with a woman like you would be pretty great, too."
Fran knew she was charmed. "Oh, that sounds like it would be great," she said, smiling at him. "I'll have to check my schedule, Andrew, but I'll let you know in a few days, okay?"
"Sounds great, I can't wait to hear from you," he said, kissing her on the cheek. "Bye Fran." He finished, and then turned around and headed back to his car.
Fran was still smiling as she went through the first door, but stopped before she opened the second one to enter the mansion. Greece? Could she really go half way around the world with this man she just met? She asked herself. What would Mr. Sheffield say? Should she care what he would say? After a few minutes sitting on the bench in between the doors, Fran knew what she had to do. She got up, and walked into the mansion. Niles was dusting by the couches. Fran rushed over to him, not even taking her coat off.
"Niles, where's Mr. Sheffield? I really need to talk to him; I can't let it go any longer." She didn't realize she'd been breathing heavily until she stopped talking.
"Oh, Miss Fine," Niles frowned, sensing the urgency on his friend's distraught face. "I'm afraid you've missed him."
"Yeah, I know." She replied very quickly. "That's what I need to talk to him about. I just got invited to go to Greece with Andrew, and I need to deal with this business between me and Mr. Sheffield once and for all, I need to know whether I'm wasting my time or not."
"Oh, no." Niles put down his feather duster. "I'm terribly sorry, Miss Fine. Mr. Sheffield isn't here; he just took off in the Concord for Paris."
"What?" Fran asked, very confused by this turn of events.
"It seems that Mr. Sheffield got word that this deal with Sir Lloyd Webber may have fallen through, so he's trying to get over there as fast as possible, hoping to swoop in and get it for himself." He looked at Fran, feeling very bad for her.
"Well, I guess that's good then, if he can still get that deal after I accidentally threw out his contracts the other day." Fran wanted to be happy for him, but the truth was she was realizing she wasn't going to be able to pour her heart out to him like she thought she would, and that made her sadder by the second. "Oh, Niles, what am I going to do now?" she said, starting to feel herself well up with tears.
Niles sighed. "What can you do? The man you love has fled to Paris, the most romantic city in the world, on the small chance that he can sign a deal." He looked at Fran, and she wasn't getting it yet, so he continued. "The same deal you messed up in the first place. However, that didn't matter because he fully forgave you, even though he had no way of knowing this second chance at the deal would happen." He looked at Fran once more, and she still wasn't getting what he was hinting at. "Meaning he had to accept the fact that he lost the deal of his career, because of you. And he did, without too much hesitation." This time when he looked at Fran, he tried to get her to see his body language also, to help her clue in. However, it still didn't work. Niles let out a slightly frustrated sigh. "That was, until he had the most fortunate luck. It was a second chance at this fantastic deal, which he is hoping to sign right now, in Paris, the most romantic city in the world." He willed her to understand his hints with his eyes.
"Niles, I feel like you're trying to get to something," She said, with a slight whimper in her voice.
"Well DUH!" he threw his hands up¸ rolling his eyes at the same time.
"Well, would ya just tell me what it is?!" She scowled. "I'm just too feklempt right now to follow all your rants, I gotta say."
"Ohh, Miss Fine," he huffed slightly. "Can you think of what would be the perfect way for you to express yourself to Mr. Sheffield, as you so desperately want to do?"
"Ahh," her face brightened a little bit. "I get ya now." She nodded. "You're saying that I should go to Greece, so that Mr. Sheffield will realize how much he misses me, and therefore how much he loves me, right?"
Niles rolled his eyes and laughed at himself a little. "I'm going about this all wrong." He realized aloud. He looked Fran square in the eyes. "Miss Fine, I think I might make some baklava next week. I suppose I could give you a piece, but, there's a whole dish of that crème Brule that you love-"
"Oh my God!" Fran gasped. "Niles, you're so right!"
"Oh?" he rebutted, quickly. "What am I right about?" he walked around her and went over to the coat closet and opened the door, reaching inside for something.
"You're right about what I need to do about Mr. Sheffield!" she exclaimed, looking all around. "Oh my God, I have to hurry up and get to Paris, I have to pack a bag, oh and I have to call Ma, and what am I going to do about the kids?!" Fran was very frantically bouncing about the Sheffield entry way.
Meanwhile, Niles reached into the closet and pulled out a packed bag, holding it out to Fran. "I just put a pineapple upside down cake in the oven; it's only a matter of time before your mother arrives. I'll fill her in on what you're doing, and I'm sure she'll happily keep an eye on the children for you." He stepped up and opened the door for her.
"Ahh! Niles! Thank you!" Fran squealed, giving him a quick peck on the cheek and jumping up "Paris, here I come!" and with that, she was out the door, on her way to rendez vous with the man she loved in the most romantic city in the world.