CHAPTER 14

"No, I'm sorry, Mr. McMann, CC hasn't yet arrived but she should be here shortly. I'll let her know you rang. Alright then. Goodbye." Maxwell hung up just as Niles walked out of the office.

"Oh, Niles, old man. Could you come back in here? I seem to have misplaced some papers and CC will be livid if they're not here when she arrives... She was supposed to come in earlier for them but she's still not here..."

Niles watched as Maxwell looked through some of the paperwork already scattered on his desk.

"Um, sir, Miss Babcock picked up some documents last night." Niles said as his mind wandered back to the night before, hardly listening to what Maxwell was saying.

"Oh, she did? Perhaps that's why she's not already here. I didn't realize you'd given it to her. Did she get it all?"

Niles's eyebrows bolted to his forehead. "Pardon me, sir?"

"The documents. Did you give her both folders? The second one had the plot climax for the show. I know she'd scanned through some of the first part so she might not have needed that one but did you give CC the climax?"

CC strolled through the office door in time to hear the wrong end of that question. She stopped dead in her tracks and looked at Niles.

"Ah! CC, Niles was just telling me you came here last night." Maxwell said, looking down at the notes in front of him once more.

"I did not!" She said, wide-eyed and blushing.

She looked over at Niles who quickly shook his head.

Maxwell looked up. "You didn't collect the revised plots then? Where could those darn folders have gone? He asked as he looked through the mess on his desk once more.

She opened her mouth in realization. "Oh! Yes! Yes, I did. Sorry I thought you were... Um. Yeah, I read 'em" She said quickly, waving a hand to appear as casual as possible

She glanced at Niles who was still looking at her. When he realized she saw him, he quickly busied himself with the tea tray he had laid out.

CC didn't know what to do with herself with him in the room. Especially with that morning's shower fantasy still fresh in her mind. "I'm going to get some coffee from the kitchen," she said and hastily left the room.

"Oh, good idea!" Maxwell said. "Niles could you bring a fresh cup for me too? I meant to tell you that tea you have there is a little woody for my taste so don't pour it."

"Yes, sir." Niles said, not particularly bothered as he'd already brewed a fresh pot of coffee in the kitchen.

"And please inform Miss Babcock that Mr. McMann rang for her."

"Yes, sir." Niles repeated, only this time with a little less enthusiasm.