The next day, Maxwell was busing himself in his office to avoid running into Miss Fine. 'She seemed so distant at breakfast this morning. And she hardly spoke two words to me. She appeared upset with me for some reason,' thought Maxwell as he sat at his desk. 'I don't know what has gotten into she be upset with me for going out to dinner with Bobbi? Well, it' not as if it were a date or anything.'
Just then Maxwell sees the door open and he held his breathe, but luckily for him it was only Niles with some fresh coffee. 'Hmm, maybe I'll pry out of Niles what's troubling Miss Fine,' Maxwell thought to himself.
"Niles, old boy, do you know why Miss Fine seemed so distant at breakfast this morning," nonchalantly asked Maxwell.
Niles very well knew why Miss Fine was so distant from their stubborn old boss. 'Once again he has managed to tear apart that poor girl's heart strings. Well Mr. Sheffield was going to have to work for this explanation. I'm tired of always spelling things out for him,' firmly thought Niles.
"Distant, sir? I didn't notice any change in Miss Fine's behavior," lied Niles as he poured Maxwell a cup of coffee.
"Oh, come on Niles. You didn't notice that she hardly talked to me, and wasn't her normal cheery self?" insinuated Maxwell. "Everyone knows your the big yenta around here...so just TELL me!" exclaimed Maxwell, who was starting to get annoyed by his butler.
"Think sir, what have you done in the last few days that would have upset Miss Fine?" questioned Niles, he was getting tired of his boss being so aloof all the time. Niles wondered why his boss couldn't just admit his feelings for the woman already.
"What do you mean, what have I done to upset Miss Fine. I haven't DONE anything wrong!" voiced a irritated Maxwell, while massaging his temples. 'Oh God I feel a headache coming on.'
Niles wondered how Mr. Sheffield could be so blind. "Work with me sir. Think where did Miss Fine have dinner last night?"
"At home with the children. You should know that Niles, you were here. I don't see what that has to do with anything," said Maxwell, who was not seeing Niles's point of questioning.
'Of course, you never do you bloody fool!' screamed Niles in his head. "And where did you have dinner, sir?"
"At the restaurant with Bobbi, you know that!" said the now annoyed Maxwell. 'What the bloody hell is he trying to get at,' thought Maxwell.
Niles just gave me a smirk, as to say 'see the point.' Niles was hoping he would finally put two and two together.
"I really don't see what me going to dinner with Bobbi has to do with anything," said Maxwell just as it clicked in his head. "You mean Miss Fine was upset I went to dinner with Bobbi? That was just dinner with an old friend, and nothing more...you know that Niles."
'Finally,' thought Niles. "Yes, sir. I know that, but how would Miss Fine have known that? Did you tell her you were going to dinner with an old friend?? Did you ask her if you could go??" Niles knew his last statement would set a fire under his boss. He was hoping this would finally knock some sense into him.
That did it. "ASK HER IF I COULD GO?? I don't need to have her bloody permission to go out with a friend if I want too. She's not my wife!!" yelled a fumed Maxwell as he stood up from behind his desk.
Calm, cool, and collective Niles replied, "And maybe that's the problem, sir." With that Niles walked out of the office shutting the door behind him, secretly grinning to himself. 'Let him ponder that for awhile,' thought Niles.
Maxwell was left stunned by Niles last remark. "What the bloody hell is that suppose to mean?" asked Maxwell to himself. Niles had left before he got the chance to interrogate him about it.
He began nervously running his fingers through is hair desperately trying to make sense of his conversation with Niles. "What does Niles mean, that's the problem? His bloody solution to everything is for me to marry Miss Fine!"
'And would that be such a bad thing,' Maxwell's conscience retorted.
Maxwell had to agree it wouldn't be a bad thing. 'Just not yet. I'm not ready to take that step to marriage,' Maxwell struggled with his thoughts. 'We just started dating. I don't want to rush things.'
'What rushing? She's been working here five years and you just went out on your first date two weeks ago!!' screamed Maxwell's conscience.
'Well, I didn't want to jeopardize anything with children, you know. I had to look out for their well being. What if we got together earlier and it didn't work out?' reasoned Maxwell.
'Ahh, but what if it did? You could already be happily married to Fran,' said Maxwell's conscience in response.
A smile crept across Maxwell's face at the thought. He really did care for Fran, hell he loved her. He just wasn't quite ready to tell the world yet. But he was ready to move forward in this relationship. Maxwell decided to go find Fran and straighten this whole mess out about Bobbi and their relationship.
Just then Maxwell sees the door open and he held his breathe, but luckily for him it was only Niles with some fresh coffee. 'Hmm, maybe I'll pry out of Niles what's troubling Miss Fine,' Maxwell thought to himself.
"Niles, old boy, do you know why Miss Fine seemed so distant at breakfast this morning," nonchalantly asked Maxwell.
Niles very well knew why Miss Fine was so distant from their stubborn old boss. 'Once again he has managed to tear apart that poor girl's heart strings. Well Mr. Sheffield was going to have to work for this explanation. I'm tired of always spelling things out for him,' firmly thought Niles.
"Distant, sir? I didn't notice any change in Miss Fine's behavior," lied Niles as he poured Maxwell a cup of coffee.
"Oh, come on Niles. You didn't notice that she hardly talked to me, and wasn't her normal cheery self?" insinuated Maxwell. "Everyone knows your the big yenta around here...so just TELL me!" exclaimed Maxwell, who was starting to get annoyed by his butler.
"Think sir, what have you done in the last few days that would have upset Miss Fine?" questioned Niles, he was getting tired of his boss being so aloof all the time. Niles wondered why his boss couldn't just admit his feelings for the woman already.
"What do you mean, what have I done to upset Miss Fine. I haven't DONE anything wrong!" voiced a irritated Maxwell, while massaging his temples. 'Oh God I feel a headache coming on.'
Niles wondered how Mr. Sheffield could be so blind. "Work with me sir. Think where did Miss Fine have dinner last night?"
"At home with the children. You should know that Niles, you were here. I don't see what that has to do with anything," said Maxwell, who was not seeing Niles's point of questioning.
'Of course, you never do you bloody fool!' screamed Niles in his head. "And where did you have dinner, sir?"
"At the restaurant with Bobbi, you know that!" said the now annoyed Maxwell. 'What the bloody hell is he trying to get at,' thought Maxwell.
Niles just gave me a smirk, as to say 'see the point.' Niles was hoping he would finally put two and two together.
"I really don't see what me going to dinner with Bobbi has to do with anything," said Maxwell just as it clicked in his head. "You mean Miss Fine was upset I went to dinner with Bobbi? That was just dinner with an old friend, and nothing more...you know that Niles."
'Finally,' thought Niles. "Yes, sir. I know that, but how would Miss Fine have known that? Did you tell her you were going to dinner with an old friend?? Did you ask her if you could go??" Niles knew his last statement would set a fire under his boss. He was hoping this would finally knock some sense into him.
That did it. "ASK HER IF I COULD GO?? I don't need to have her bloody permission to go out with a friend if I want too. She's not my wife!!" yelled a fumed Maxwell as he stood up from behind his desk.
Calm, cool, and collective Niles replied, "And maybe that's the problem, sir." With that Niles walked out of the office shutting the door behind him, secretly grinning to himself. 'Let him ponder that for awhile,' thought Niles.
Maxwell was left stunned by Niles last remark. "What the bloody hell is that suppose to mean?" asked Maxwell to himself. Niles had left before he got the chance to interrogate him about it.
He began nervously running his fingers through is hair desperately trying to make sense of his conversation with Niles. "What does Niles mean, that's the problem? His bloody solution to everything is for me to marry Miss Fine!"
'And would that be such a bad thing,' Maxwell's conscience retorted.
Maxwell had to agree it wouldn't be a bad thing. 'Just not yet. I'm not ready to take that step to marriage,' Maxwell struggled with his thoughts. 'We just started dating. I don't want to rush things.'
'What rushing? She's been working here five years and you just went out on your first date two weeks ago!!' screamed Maxwell's conscience.
'Well, I didn't want to jeopardize anything with children, you know. I had to look out for their well being. What if we got together earlier and it didn't work out?' reasoned Maxwell.
'Ahh, but what if it did? You could already be happily married to Fran,' said Maxwell's conscience in response.
A smile crept across Maxwell's face at the thought. He really did care for Fran, hell he loved her. He just wasn't quite ready to tell the world yet. But he was ready to move forward in this relationship. Maxwell decided to go find Fran and straighten this whole mess out about Bobbi and their relationship.