CC walked out of the mansion and turned right, walking briskly. She was headed toward the park, although she had no plan. She just knew she couldn't go home. She pulled her phone from her bag and pounded on it with a finger.
The Phone rang until someone picked up. "Dr. Bort's office."
"This is CC Babcock, and I need to speak to Dr. Bort immediately." CC looked around while combing her hair back with the other hand.
"I'll see if she's available."
CC continued to walk with the phone to her head while she waited. The phone beeped and she took it away from her head and looked at it.
"DD." CC sent the call to voicemail.
Dr. Bort answered. "CC, what's going on?"
"I kissed the toilet duck!" CC blurted with her eyes squinted.
"And when you say toilet duck, you don't mean a cleaner? You are, referring to a person. Correct?"
"Um…yes!" Was this woman sleeping during her sessions?
"Is this person, Maxwell's butler?"
"Who else?"
The phone began to beep again and she pulled it away from her ear to look at it. It was DD again."
"And what is his name again?" Dr. Bort continued.
CC bit the inside of both of her lips thinking, are you kidding me?
She pulled the phone away again. "Dr. Bort. One moment." She hit answer. "DD, What?!"
The voice was quiet for a moment, and then it purred smoothly. "You kissed Niles."
"How did y- What? That is not-" She huffed. "Didn't happen!" She rolled her eyes and switched back to Dr. Bort. "I need to call you back."
"CC, It's important to acknowledge-" /p
pCC switched back to DD's call and spoke with the most slow, patronizing tone she could muster. "DD? That did not happen."
There was a park avenue giggle on the other end of the phone. "Admit it, you kissed him. And you loved it."
"I'm about to hang up. I can only guess where you heard that." She said it loudly as she began walking along the park.
"I am married to his closest friend."
CC stopped and took a breath. "DD, stop it. Nothing happened."
DD giggled in response. "Ok, I promise to behave myself. What did happen?"
CC looked up at the sky squinting. "It was hardly a kiss. I think we just fell together and then Maxwell came, and…" CC stopped in her tracks. "What did he say?"
"Andrew just said that he thought that the two of you kissed. I asked for more details, and he said he couldn't say. But I think he could." She could still hear the amused tone in DD's voice. "Honestly, CC I hate these cheeky British men."
"Well, it's a good thing you didn't marry one." CC remarked flatly. She looked up to a sudden honk on the side of the road and a car pulled over.
CC stared at the black car that pulled over despite several cars honking as they maneuvered around it. The window rolled down. "CC!" Chandler put an elbow on the window.
"DD, I'll call you back."
"But," DD protested. CC put the phone in her pocket.
He leaned forward to speak to the driver and then jumped out with a case of some sort. "I brought us a mid-morning nosh."
"A what?" CC's face was incredulous.
"You know. You've said it before. A nosh?"
"Ok." CC turned toward the entrance of the park and began to walk in. Nanny Fine had infiltrated the Sheffield home as well as every member's vocabulary.
She began to quicken her pace as she thought about it. She felt as if she was in some goofy Shakespeare play. Chandler soon caught up and they walked in pace until they reached a bench and sat.
"I just wanted to apologize for anything I may have said to upset you last night." Chandler unbuttoned his suit jacket as they sat, and then opened the case and took out a bagel half, handing it to her. She looked at him flatly. "I'm not hungry but, boy could I use a drink."
Chandler leaned over. "I happen to have a cold thermos of Mimosas."
CC finally looked at him and his perfectly placed hair, and she smiled. "Thank you."
Chandler poured hers out and she drank it in one shot as Chandler watched. She shoved the top towards him again. He poured again and she promptly slammed it, handed him the cup, and then slid down on the bench outstretching her legs into the walkway. She put her head back and rested it on the back of the bench, closing her eyes with her hands at her sides. She knew it was in a very un-babcock like manner.
"So, I gather the morning was not all you wanted it to be?"
Or was it too much, she wondered. She opened an eye and patted his hand with a small smile before shutting it again.
Chandler looked down at her hand before he turned sideways. He rested an elbow on the bench and held her hand on the other side. "Listen, CC, I can see you're struggling with something here and I think I can help."
CC shut her eyes again. "I don't see how."
He smiled in a way she could only call dashing. "CC, I don't think I really gave us a good chance the last time we were seeing each other."
She stared at him flatly again. "Ya think?"
"Something about you has been different." There was a hum in his voice that reminded her about the way she used to feel. She was mad about the man, wasn't she?
"Chandler, I'm sort of, confused here." She sat up. "Where is this coming from?"
"I think, I have very strong feelings for you, and I would like to become more serious."
CC sat up. "You mean more exclusive?"
"No. Like marriage exclusive."
CC's mouth fell open and she wanted to become incensed. "Why now?" But her voice was calm.
"The way you shine. It's amazing."
Who didn't want to hear that? She looked straight ahead as a silver cart passed. She could see their reflection in it. They were amazing, beautiful, striking…a dream.
pHer stomach twisted. This was what she'd wanted, there was nothing else to think about. No need to think about anything else that may or may not have happened. She turned toward him. "Ok, Chandler, I accept."
He smiled. "Really?"
She nodded and gave him a soft smile, but she could hardly feel her face when he kissed her.