She returned to the fainting couch and sat down, admiring the smooth velvet fabric. It was a beautiful piece of furniture with creamy light beige fabric and it fit in well with
the rest of his décor. She shouldn't have been surprised. Everything in his home was incredibly beautiful. No wonder he was so proud when he'd acquired an apartment after
such a harrowing ordeal. It was much bigger and vastly different than his brother's place and it was clear that, although he and his brother had very similar traits and
personalities, that their tastes and personal preferences were different. Where Frasier preferred the more modern look, Niles was definitely more transitional.
She stood and walked around the living room, intent on exploring it even further. But she'd hardly begun when she turned and saw him walking out of his swinging kitchen
door. Immediately she went to help him, for the tray he was holding looked awfully cumbersome. Amazingly he allowed her to take it, but she was filled with delight when she
saw the beautiful chef salad, two champagne glasses and a bowl of fruit. In his hand was a bottle of champagne.
"Here you are, Daphne. I hope you enjoy it."
"Dr. Crane this is lovely. It looks wonderful, but really, it's too much. I only wanted-."
"You're my guest. Is there anything else I can get you?"
"No, this is more than enough. Thank you so much, Dr. Crane."
He took the tray from her and sat it on his kitchen table. "I'll just set a place for you. Would you like your champagne now, or-."
She grinned. "This salad looks large enough for two. Would you like to join me?"
He averted his eyes, which seemed to hold a tinge of sadness. Perhaps he was missing his ex-wife (it was a perfectly normal thing to do), or it was something else entirely.
"No thank you, Daphne. I appreciate the offer. I'll just-."
A squawking noise came from the corner of the room, startling her. Niles jumped to attention. "Will you please excuse me for a moment? I think someone needs me."
It was then that she noticed the beautiful white cockatoo that sat on a perch in the corner of the room. She walked over to it and hesitantly reached out to touch its' feathers.
But not before asking permission.
"May I?"
Niles nodded. "Of course."
"What a sweet little bird."
"Yes, I'm quite fond of her."
"What's her name?"
"Baby."
Amazingly Baby remained where she was, not in the least bit bothered by Daphne's presence. "Baby. That's a lovely name, Dr. Crane. It suits her."
Niles grinned sheepishly. "Thank you." He followed Daphne back to the kitchen table and pulled the chair out to allow her to sit.
"You're such a gentleman."
"I'll leave you alone to eat. Would you like some champagne?"
"Yes. That would be lovely. Thank you, Dr. Crane. Not just for the salad and champagne but for everything." She held up her glass and as he filled it, she noticed his cheeks
were flushed.
"I'll just be over here, waiting."
"Thank you, Dr. Crane."
The salad was absolutely wonderful. No doubt the vegetables, meats and cheeses were fresh from Pike Place Market or from that silly gourmet grocery
store that Niles spoke so highly of. And the dressing was incredible-quite different than anything she'd ever tasted. She ate every bite and then sipped the cool champagne
slowly. She was in no condition to let the alcohol go to her head. But the cool liquid tasted wonderful.
When her bowl was empty, she rose from her chair to carry the dishes to the kitchen. But Niles was, of course one step ahead of her, placing the dishes on the tray.
"I'll take care of this."
The warmth in his eyes made her heart rate increase. "Dr. Crane, I don't expect you to wait on me like this. I'm only here because-."
"I'm sorry that Sherry said all of those hurtful things to you. But I'm touched that you consider me your friend. I'm so honored to have you in my home."
His words were so sweet and wonderful that she almost cried. "Dr. Crane…"
"I mean that, Daphne."
She put her arms around him, drawing back only for a second to kiss his lips.