Chapter 4
A/N: Whoo! Thanks to all of you who've reviewed and pushed me to write. And, all of you who keep posting-making me look bad. ;-)
"Well Lilith. I must say, I'm quite shocked you're up here." We were back in my apartment, after having a few drinks.
"I trust you." She giggled, which was something I thought to be completely beyond her ability. "And that's what I find shocking."
"I'm glad. Can I get you something to drink?"
She giggled again. "I think we've had more then enough to drink for one night."
"So is that a 'no'?" I'd asked that just to see if I could get her to giggle again. Which she did.
"Yes, I guess it is."
"Well, would you like to sit down?" At that point, I didn't know what to ask.
"Oh, cut the crap Frasier. We both know why you asked me out. Or at least why you asked me up."
"You really think you do huh? Then why did I?"
She laughed. Not giggled. It was a little too seductive for a giggle. Hell, it was a little too seductive for a laugh. Well, whatever it was, she did it, and the slowly stepped closer to me. Until finally, she was so close I could feel her breath.
"Oh come on Frasier. Don't you find me the least bit attractive?" She pulled the pins out of her bun and gently shook her head.
"Well, yes.. But this isn't something I generally do on a first date." Her hair smelled so damn good..
"What is is we're doing?" She ran her hands down my chest, and then started to unbutton my shirt.
"Nothing. And we can't do anything." It had taken all my strength to say that. "I don't think I'm ready for this-"
"Ready for what?" She'd backed away and I could tell that she was hurt.
"To get this close to a woman again. To feel this way, this soon. Lilith, I'm..not ready to fall in love."
She looked shocked and more then a little afraid, and I couldn't say I blamed her. No matter how drunk I'd been, I'd basically told her that I was falling in love with her-which wasn't entirely off the mark.
"Um.. I'm suddenly not feeling so well. I think I'll get a cab." She wanted out of this messy situation, and I couldn't blame her. The only thing I could do was to let her run.
She hurried over to the door, grabbing her coat on the way. She paused for just a second in the doorway, but then rushed out.
I stood watching that door for what felt ike hours. Finally, I had to admit to myself that she wasn't coming back, and I went to bed.
The rest of her two weeks in Seattle were a complete fog to me. We only ran into each other once. We were both waking in the park, but pretended not to notice.
I went to work as usual, but I didn't have the energy. Dad's new physical therapist, Daphne, was convinced I had a fever and needed to see a "real doctor." Roz said that if I already needed a vacation, I wouldn't last a year.
But I do remember the night she left. I was comfortably positioned on the couch with one of my favorite books open in front of me, but I wasn't reading it. Of course, I blamed it on Dad, who was sitting next to me in That Chair, watching a baseball game.
"Hey Dad, can you turn that down a little? I'm trying to read."
"Hey Fras, can you read in your room? I'm trying to watch the game." At that, Eddie came to sit next to me and stare. That damn dog seemed fascinated with me, and sometimes it was more then a little frightening.
"Nice Dad." I slammed my book shut and he looked over at me.
"What's been going on with you lately? You seem so depressed." He sure hit that nail on the head. "Eddie looks worried." Was it Eddie that was worried or Dad? Either way, he turned the volume down on the television.
"Oh, it's nothing. I'm alright." He tuned the sound back up. "If you must know, I've just chased away yet another woman."
He rolled his eyes. "Oh, is that all?"
"What do you mean, 'is that all?'" Needless to say, I was annoyed he wasn't showing more concern. After all, I'd loved this woman.
"Geez Frasier. You could have known her what? Maybe two weeks? How could that make any difference?"
"Niles knew he loved Maris after seeing her once." That was a moot point-at best.
"And look at where that got him. You're better off without whoever this woman is."
"No. I really don't think I am."
"Well, then way are you sitting here telling me?" He was obviously becoming frusterated-that I was keeping him from his game. "He kept one eye on the set the entire time, even if the sound was back down.
"Today was her last day in Seattle. She's probably on a plane back to Boston right now."
"Then go to Boston." Who was I to argue with logic like that?
A/N: Whoo! Thanks to all of you who've reviewed and pushed me to write. And, all of you who keep posting-making me look bad. ;-)
"Well Lilith. I must say, I'm quite shocked you're up here." We were back in my apartment, after having a few drinks.
"I trust you." She giggled, which was something I thought to be completely beyond her ability. "And that's what I find shocking."
"I'm glad. Can I get you something to drink?"
She giggled again. "I think we've had more then enough to drink for one night."
"So is that a 'no'?" I'd asked that just to see if I could get her to giggle again. Which she did.
"Yes, I guess it is."
"Well, would you like to sit down?" At that point, I didn't know what to ask.
"Oh, cut the crap Frasier. We both know why you asked me out. Or at least why you asked me up."
"You really think you do huh? Then why did I?"
She laughed. Not giggled. It was a little too seductive for a giggle. Hell, it was a little too seductive for a laugh. Well, whatever it was, she did it, and the slowly stepped closer to me. Until finally, she was so close I could feel her breath.
"Oh come on Frasier. Don't you find me the least bit attractive?" She pulled the pins out of her bun and gently shook her head.
"Well, yes.. But this isn't something I generally do on a first date." Her hair smelled so damn good..
"What is is we're doing?" She ran her hands down my chest, and then started to unbutton my shirt.
"Nothing. And we can't do anything." It had taken all my strength to say that. "I don't think I'm ready for this-"
"Ready for what?" She'd backed away and I could tell that she was hurt.
"To get this close to a woman again. To feel this way, this soon. Lilith, I'm..not ready to fall in love."
She looked shocked and more then a little afraid, and I couldn't say I blamed her. No matter how drunk I'd been, I'd basically told her that I was falling in love with her-which wasn't entirely off the mark.
"Um.. I'm suddenly not feeling so well. I think I'll get a cab." She wanted out of this messy situation, and I couldn't blame her. The only thing I could do was to let her run.
She hurried over to the door, grabbing her coat on the way. She paused for just a second in the doorway, but then rushed out.
I stood watching that door for what felt ike hours. Finally, I had to admit to myself that she wasn't coming back, and I went to bed.
The rest of her two weeks in Seattle were a complete fog to me. We only ran into each other once. We were both waking in the park, but pretended not to notice.
I went to work as usual, but I didn't have the energy. Dad's new physical therapist, Daphne, was convinced I had a fever and needed to see a "real doctor." Roz said that if I already needed a vacation, I wouldn't last a year.
But I do remember the night she left. I was comfortably positioned on the couch with one of my favorite books open in front of me, but I wasn't reading it. Of course, I blamed it on Dad, who was sitting next to me in That Chair, watching a baseball game.
"Hey Dad, can you turn that down a little? I'm trying to read."
"Hey Fras, can you read in your room? I'm trying to watch the game." At that, Eddie came to sit next to me and stare. That damn dog seemed fascinated with me, and sometimes it was more then a little frightening.
"Nice Dad." I slammed my book shut and he looked over at me.
"What's been going on with you lately? You seem so depressed." He sure hit that nail on the head. "Eddie looks worried." Was it Eddie that was worried or Dad? Either way, he turned the volume down on the television.
"Oh, it's nothing. I'm alright." He tuned the sound back up. "If you must know, I've just chased away yet another woman."
He rolled his eyes. "Oh, is that all?"
"What do you mean, 'is that all?'" Needless to say, I was annoyed he wasn't showing more concern. After all, I'd loved this woman.
"Geez Frasier. You could have known her what? Maybe two weeks? How could that make any difference?"
"Niles knew he loved Maris after seeing her once." That was a moot point-at best.
"And look at where that got him. You're better off without whoever this woman is."
"No. I really don't think I am."
"Well, then way are you sitting here telling me?" He was obviously becoming frusterated-that I was keeping him from his game. "He kept one eye on the set the entire time, even if the sound was back down.
"Today was her last day in Seattle. She's probably on a plane back to Boston right now."
"Then go to Boston." Who was I to argue with logic like that?