Val nodded and followed her out of the kitchen.

"This was really so adoring of him," she said to her friend as she sniffed the sweet scent of the roses. "I'm really going to have to make a big show of it in front of Mr. Sheffield.

She heard some motion on the stairs and began talking loudly, careful to be understood.

"WOW Val, LOOK at these gooorgeous roses NILES gave me," She motioned to her friend to continue as Mr. Sheffield entered the living room.

"Oh YESSS Fran, they are beautiful. So nice of NILES to get those for you," Val played along.

"What's going on here?" Mr. Sheffield asked them, his brow furrowing as he entered the foyer.

Fran walked by him, dangling the roses under his nose. She plopped them into a vase sitting on the end table in the middle of the foyer, and arranged them carefully.

"Ohh," she said airily, "Val and I were just admiring Niles' good taste," she turned around to face him.

Mr. Sheffield seethed slightly but kept his composure. "How…lovely," he muttered as he stomped of.

Fran looked triumphantly after him. "It's finally getting' to him, Val. Now if he'd only do something about it. I mean whyyy hasn't he??" She moaned to her friend.

Val threw her hands up, "I dunno Fran…maybe you oughta speed things up between you and Niles. Make it look like you're really serious and not just having a fling."

Fran stared blankly at her friend.

"VAL!!"

"What??"

"That is …a … really GREAT idea. Sometimes you really surprise me." She complimented her still in disbelief.

"It's just like the time I got the idea to take Yetta to the kids shows at the cineplex."

"Uh…NO Val, don't you remember how she tried to go home with the family that had 12 kids and claimed that she was their long lost cousin?" Fran cried. "Anyways, this idea needs work. I better go run it by Niles." As soon as she said his name she felt a little tug of attachment. She paused for a moment, thinking on it.

"Ok Fran, I'm going to head on home then. Call me." Val said as she gathered her coat and left out the front door.

Fran stood in the foyer a moment. What was she wearing?…ACK! Her pale-blue bathrobe?? Her hair disheveled and awry. Gosh what a mess. This could take hours. But wait, what was she thinking? She only wanted to talk to her best friend, Niles. Why should she bother getting all dressed up? Well…no harm in it anyway. She couldn't lounge around all day in this get-up. She'd just put on something simple…her tight red mini-skirt…and fix her hair a bit…curling iron a must…dab on some lipstick…blush, mascara, yeah pretty much the works. She quickly went up the stairs.

She returned down the same stairs not too much later. She checked herself in the mirror. She had decided on her shimmery red mini-skirt, black tights, and a black off-the-shoulders mohair sweater. Gorgeous. She waltzed into the kitchen in her polished black designer shoes and stopped short unable to believe what she was hearing…and seeing.

Niles had put a little tape player out on the counter and was cranking U2's "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me , Kill Me" at full blast. She looked over at Niles who had taken off his suit-jacket and was now wearing his navy vest with a white dress-shirt underneath. He had rolled up his sleeves and was up to his elbows in sudsy water as he scrubbed a metal pan furiously.

Fran stood for a moment, enthralled. He had yet to notice her presence. She watched his well-defined biceps work to scourge the pan. His shirt was rolled up just enough that it was taut around his muscles. A few thick strands of his sandy blonde hair had fallen across his forehead. It was such a contrast to his normally immaculate appearance. There was something about that…that and the music playing and the fact that he had his sleeves rolled up and that he was working so hard. Something very alluring – her attention was suddenly focused on his hair again. Though he was engaged in his work, he'd begun to bob his head to the music and his hair had fallen into his eyes. Fran watched intently. He began to lift his soapy hand up to brush it aside when Fran suddenly moved to his left side.

"Allow me," she said in a huskily low voice.

Niles, startled, looked up at her. She reached a hand out and ever so gently, brushed the lock behind his ear. Niles' face flushed slightly. He nodded his thanks and reached for a dishtowel. He dried his hands, keeping his eyes on Fran the whole time. His hands shook slightly. What was this? Why was she having this effect on him? Maybe it was what she was wearing…yes….that mini-skirt certainly quickened his pulse. And the skin of her shoulders was exposed. He wanted to look away, he really did. but he found himself unable to. He let out a ragged shuddering breath.