"Good-day, Dr Crane. Dr Sternin. You're usual's?" The waitress at the café Nervosa greeted us.
"Yes, thank you." Frasier replied.
I must admit it was nice to have a 'usual' again. The last place that Frasier and I were known was Cheers. But of course, there, my usual was a Scotch on the rocks, not coffee.
"Actually!" I called after the young waitress. "Make his with non-fat milk." I said in a mock whisper. "He's been eating a few too many Jelly doughnuts lately."
The waitress and I shared a giggle as Frasier pretended to act hurt. "Thank you very much, Lilith!"
"You know I'm right." I smirked.
"Probably." Frasier chuckled.
My mouth formed a fond smile. And Frasier smiled back.
Suddenly his expression turned to one of sadness. "I'm going to miss you, Lilith."
"I'll miss you too. But y'know you can always call me."
"I may just take you up on that." Frasier brightened up."
"Please do. You know you've always had the option to call me for anything, not just concerning Frederick? "
"I know." The waitress brought our order and Frasier stared into his coffee. "It just always seemed a little awkward-calling you. After the divorce and everything."
"Frasier." I placed my hand over his." No mater what's happened between us. I'll always be there."
He looked into my eyes and smiled. "Ditto."
Suddenly my stomach churned. A feeling that had become more and more familiar to me over the past weeks.
I excused myself from our table.
"Oh. Sweetheart, are you okay?" Frasier questioned, knowing this was just the usual routine.
"I'll be okay." I answered hurriedly, as I dashed to the ladies room.
I returned to find that Niles had joined Frasier at our table. They rose from their seats as I sat down, the perfect gentlemen.
"How are you feeling, Lilith?" Niles questioned, with actual sincerity.
"My flu seems to have gone, give or take the odd stomach troubles, thank you for asking." I replied. Niles and I had been getting along better ever since our little 'incident'. I'd never thought he was all that bad, but Niles had never really felt comfortable around me.
Frasier stole at glance in my direction. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine." I smiled, through a slight sigh.
Niles looked at his watch. "Oh, it's almost 11:30. Doesn't your plane leave in an hour, Lilith?"
I realised how time flies when I'm with Frasier. "Yes! Oh, Frasier, we'd better get back to your place and pick up Frederick."
"You're right. I'll see you later Niles." Frasier stated leaving two bills on the table.
"Yes." Niles rose from his seat to give me a goodbye hug. "I'll see you soon Lilith."
I kissed his check lightly. "Goodbye Niles."
As the taxi pulled up outside my house at 10:35pm, after a long flight from Seattle. I felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I knew immediately that this was not brought on by the illness that had plagued me for weeks, but rather from the thought of seeing Brian again after the time I had spent with Frasier.
I scooped Frederick's sleeping body out of the seat and left the cabby waiting for me to return for my bags and to pay him.
As I approached the steel lock with my key, balancing Frederick in my other arm, the door seemed to retreat away from me. I soon realised that Brian had seen me arrive and opened the door for me.
"I've missed you, darling." Brian beamed like a schoolboy as he leaned in to kiss me hello. I could tell he wanted to kiss me with more passion but restrained himself as I was still holding a slumbering Frederick.
I smiled, more out of courtesy than joy at reuniting with my husband.
Brian proceeded to retrieve my bags and pay the Cabby. I decided it was best to put Frederick straight to bed and meet Brian downstairs.
I found Brian in the kitchen making coffee.
"I thought you'd need it after your flight." He smiled.
"Thank you. That's a good idea." I replied, staring at him, trying to figure out why I felt nothing resembling passion for my husband.
Brian was a wonderful man, there was no doubt about that. Attractive; his silver hair gave a distinguished look to a fresh face and limber body.
He had been an irreplaceable friend to me over the past year and a half, and Frederick adored him.
I soon snapped out of my deep thoughts as Brian had placed his arms around my waist and began kissing my neck.
I tried to repress the uncomfortable feeling that had over taken me recently whenever Brian touched me.
"Brian….
"Yes, sweetie." He replied between kisses.
"Um…"
"Why don't we go upstairs?"
"Brian." I tried to push him away gently, hoping he'd get the message. "Brian, I'm tired."
"I missed you." He pleaded, obviously taking no notice of my last statement.
"I missed you too." I lied. "Sweetie, I just want to sleep."
Brian finally gave in and looked into my eyes. "You do seem like something's wrong. Are you sure you're just tired? I haven't done anything wrong?"
I sighed. "No, darling, I've just had a long day, I'm just going to go take a shower."
"Okay. I'll be up in a bit." He kissed my cheek.
I took my coffee and headed upstairs. I headed straight for the bedroom, positioned myself comfortably on the bed and dialled the phone.
"Hello, Frasier?"
"Yes, thank you." Frasier replied.
I must admit it was nice to have a 'usual' again. The last place that Frasier and I were known was Cheers. But of course, there, my usual was a Scotch on the rocks, not coffee.
"Actually!" I called after the young waitress. "Make his with non-fat milk." I said in a mock whisper. "He's been eating a few too many Jelly doughnuts lately."
The waitress and I shared a giggle as Frasier pretended to act hurt. "Thank you very much, Lilith!"
"You know I'm right." I smirked.
"Probably." Frasier chuckled.
My mouth formed a fond smile. And Frasier smiled back.
Suddenly his expression turned to one of sadness. "I'm going to miss you, Lilith."
"I'll miss you too. But y'know you can always call me."
"I may just take you up on that." Frasier brightened up."
"Please do. You know you've always had the option to call me for anything, not just concerning Frederick? "
"I know." The waitress brought our order and Frasier stared into his coffee. "It just always seemed a little awkward-calling you. After the divorce and everything."
"Frasier." I placed my hand over his." No mater what's happened between us. I'll always be there."
He looked into my eyes and smiled. "Ditto."
Suddenly my stomach churned. A feeling that had become more and more familiar to me over the past weeks.
I excused myself from our table.
"Oh. Sweetheart, are you okay?" Frasier questioned, knowing this was just the usual routine.
"I'll be okay." I answered hurriedly, as I dashed to the ladies room.
I returned to find that Niles had joined Frasier at our table. They rose from their seats as I sat down, the perfect gentlemen.
"How are you feeling, Lilith?" Niles questioned, with actual sincerity.
"My flu seems to have gone, give or take the odd stomach troubles, thank you for asking." I replied. Niles and I had been getting along better ever since our little 'incident'. I'd never thought he was all that bad, but Niles had never really felt comfortable around me.
Frasier stole at glance in my direction. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine." I smiled, through a slight sigh.
Niles looked at his watch. "Oh, it's almost 11:30. Doesn't your plane leave in an hour, Lilith?"
I realised how time flies when I'm with Frasier. "Yes! Oh, Frasier, we'd better get back to your place and pick up Frederick."
"You're right. I'll see you later Niles." Frasier stated leaving two bills on the table.
"Yes." Niles rose from his seat to give me a goodbye hug. "I'll see you soon Lilith."
I kissed his check lightly. "Goodbye Niles."
As the taxi pulled up outside my house at 10:35pm, after a long flight from Seattle. I felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I knew immediately that this was not brought on by the illness that had plagued me for weeks, but rather from the thought of seeing Brian again after the time I had spent with Frasier.
I scooped Frederick's sleeping body out of the seat and left the cabby waiting for me to return for my bags and to pay him.
As I approached the steel lock with my key, balancing Frederick in my other arm, the door seemed to retreat away from me. I soon realised that Brian had seen me arrive and opened the door for me.
"I've missed you, darling." Brian beamed like a schoolboy as he leaned in to kiss me hello. I could tell he wanted to kiss me with more passion but restrained himself as I was still holding a slumbering Frederick.
I smiled, more out of courtesy than joy at reuniting with my husband.
Brian proceeded to retrieve my bags and pay the Cabby. I decided it was best to put Frederick straight to bed and meet Brian downstairs.
I found Brian in the kitchen making coffee.
"I thought you'd need it after your flight." He smiled.
"Thank you. That's a good idea." I replied, staring at him, trying to figure out why I felt nothing resembling passion for my husband.
Brian was a wonderful man, there was no doubt about that. Attractive; his silver hair gave a distinguished look to a fresh face and limber body.
He had been an irreplaceable friend to me over the past year and a half, and Frederick adored him.
I soon snapped out of my deep thoughts as Brian had placed his arms around my waist and began kissing my neck.
I tried to repress the uncomfortable feeling that had over taken me recently whenever Brian touched me.
"Brian….
"Yes, sweetie." He replied between kisses.
"Um…"
"Why don't we go upstairs?"
"Brian." I tried to push him away gently, hoping he'd get the message. "Brian, I'm tired."
"I missed you." He pleaded, obviously taking no notice of my last statement.
"I missed you too." I lied. "Sweetie, I just want to sleep."
Brian finally gave in and looked into my eyes. "You do seem like something's wrong. Are you sure you're just tired? I haven't done anything wrong?"
I sighed. "No, darling, I've just had a long day, I'm just going to go take a shower."
"Okay. I'll be up in a bit." He kissed my cheek.
I took my coffee and headed upstairs. I headed straight for the bedroom, positioned myself comfortably on the bed and dialled the phone.
"Hello, Frasier?"