Niles headed to the kitchen where he knew Miss Fine would be, indulging herself with some sort of comfort food. When he opened the swinging door he saw her sitting behind the counter glumly spooning Cookies & Cream ice-cream into her mouth, straight out of the carton.

He chuckled knowingly and walked over to her.

"So…how'd it go?" She asked quietly.

"We-ll, I still have my life but I don't think we'll be hearing the pitter-patter of Fine and Sheffield children anytime soon," he said hesitantly.

Fran nodded slowly, "I figured as much." She sat up on the kitchen stool and faced him directly. He put an arm around her shoulders reassuringly. She smiled up at him. His soft eyes crinkled and she noticed for the first time how handsome he was when he smiled. He really seemed to light up the room. It was quite adorable.

She reached her arms up around his head as if pulling him down to her for a hug when suddenly she caught his piercing blue liquid eyes staring into her soft brown ones. Her forehead felt feverish and suddenly her lungs seemed to have stopped functioning.

Niles didn't know what was going on. All he knew was that Fran had her arms around his neck and he was unable to take his eyes off of her. He swallowed hard. His normal sensible thought processes had gone out the window. His feelings had completely taken over his body and mind. His physical temperature seemed to have raised itself a good 10 degrees as well. He could feel sweat forming at the nape of his neck. What was Miss Fine going to do? What would he do if she did do it….His heart thudded in his chest like a bass drum. The echo seemed so loud to him. It was as if there was no other organs inside his hollow body but his heart.

Fran suddenly slid off the stool keeping her arms around his neck. She stood close to him, keeping his gaze. He could feel the fabric of her blouse brushing against this suit-jacket. His insides were melting.

Abandoning the world around her, Fran, no longer able to hold back this intensely heat-charged electricity around her, slowly pulled Niles' head down.

She paused slightly to make sure it wasn't just her feeling this way, and Niles, on his own brought his mouth down to meet hers. He wrapped his muscled arms around her waist in a tightening embrace.

Fran responded hungrily. Their kiss intensified with passion. This was no tender kiss like before. It was as if they were two racehorses let out of their gates to charge the track. All of their pent-up and unknown and unexplored feelings poured into the kiss.

Niles gripped Fran's well-toned sides and she arched her back in their embrace, pushing herself closer to him. She ran her fingertips down his back, her nails beginning to dig into his back. Niles moaned deeply.

His thoughts suddenly seemed to be returning to him like the numbness wearing off after a cavity filling. Unwanting to pull himself away, his walking-on-air feeling was dissipating just like a tide drawing back from the shore. He gently pulled his tingling mouth back from Miss Fine's. He took a deep shuddering breath.

Miss Fine looked completely frazzled. Her hair hung wildly around her shoulders. She smoothed it out a bit and smiled at him.

Niles closed his eyes for a moment. "You must forgive me Miss Fine. I really didn't mean to ahem …well you know."

"Niles," Fran said softly putting a hand on his shoulder. He looked down at her hand. "Really, it's all right. We just---got caught up in the moment, playing the part, that's all."

"Playing the part!" Niles laughed nervously, "Of course, of course. That's all it was."

Fran looked at him puzzled. "You ok Niles?"

He nodded wanting to make an exit, "Yes..uh..I'm going to finish up some cleaning. Let me know if anything happens between the two of you."

"Sure," she replied feeling like Niles was trying to avoid her. Oh well…she herself felt a little strange too after that unexpected kiss. Maybe it was just a comfort kiss, yeah, that's right. She was feeling depressed and she had latched onto him. And Niles, being the sweet guy that he was had gone along with it. Of course, that's all it was. But if that was all it was….why was she thinking about him still? His intense blue eyes that pierced her, his charm, his smile that simmered her insides, his soothing deep and sexy voice…whoa! Wait a minute! SEXY? NILES?? She couldn't believe herself. Feeling like this. She better call Val and talk to someone about this.

EARLY THE NEXT MORNING

Val and Fran were seated at the kitchen table munching heartily on donuts and sipping steaming black coffee.

"I'm tellin' ya Val," Fran said through a mouthful of lemon crème, "It's very VERY weird."

"I can't believe you and Niles are pretending to be—"

"I know." Fran nodded.

"…and then you kissed three times!"

"Yep…"

"…and now you can't stop thinking about him!!" Val finished in a loud voice.

"A little louder Val, I don't think they heard you in Boca!!" Fran said annoyed.

"Oh sorry, Fran. It's just so…weird," Val shook her head in disbelief.

"I know, I know. I can't figure out what's wrong with me. I mean me and Ni—" She cut herself off with a start as Niles entered from the outside kitchen door. "Nikes!" She switched quickly, "Me in Nikes?!…I just can't …believe that."

"What are you talking about, Fran?" Val asked unawares that Niles had entered from behind her. "I thought we were talking about you and Ni-" Fran quickly shoved a raspberry donut in her friend's mouth. She looked at Niles who had an amused expression. Laughing nervously Fran said, "Val can't believe it either, haha…"

"Mm…I see," Niles said unloading grocery bags onto the counter.

Fran shot Val a look, daggers in her eyes. Val shot her hands in the air, 'What??' she mouthed. Fran looked over at Niles who looked like he was trying to hide something he was pulling out of a bag.

"Whatcha got there Niles?" She asked nonchalantly as she tried to peek over his shoulder.

"Oh…nothing," he said looking guilty.

"C'mon, please let me see!" She begged.

"Oh all right," Niles gave in reluctantly. He pulled out of the grocery bag a dozen fresh-picked roses. "These are for you," he said quietly and turned away, walking towards the fridge.

Fran's jaw dropped and she made eye-contact with Val. "WOOWW" She mouthed to her.

"Oh Niles, you doll, you! This is really sweet. You didn't have to—" she began.

"—we have to make it look convincing Miss Fine," Niles said calmly.

"I could get used to this treatment," she smiled adoringly at Niles. "Thank you Niles," she sashayed over to him and gave him a light kiss on the cheek.

Niles felt a little tingle. His cheek flushed with embarrassment. He busied himself with putting away the rest of the groceries.

Fran looked over at Val again and cocked her head in the direction of the living room.

Val looked confused.

Fran repeated the motion with more emphasis this time.

"Whattsa matta Fran? You gotta crick in your neck?" Val asked.

"Living ROOM, VAL," Fran said loudly, irritated with her. "TO THE LIVING ROOM!!"