Afterwards, with heavy packages and light-weight wallets, Fran and Niles dumped their parcels off inside the Mercedes. As they pulled away from the curb Niles suddenly got an idea. He looked over at Miss Fine who was engrossed in the windows of the big stores that were whizzing by as they drove.

He coughed quietly. "Uh Miss Fine, we still have a few hours of daylight left. What do you say to a little ice-skating?"

Fran looked at him with an expression of slight surprise. This was unusual. She wasn't much of an ice-skater, wasn't much of a sports person either. But what the heck, it was something different. And she really enjoyed spending time with Niles. She was able to talk to him in a way that she couldn't with most guys, including even Mr. Sheffield.

She smiled broadly at him, "Sure, why not?"

Niles flashed a grin of his own, secretly relieved. He was afraid she'd turn him down. He knew outdoor sports weren't exactly her cup of tea. He parked the car in front of the Rockefeller Center. He and Miss Fine trooped down to rent skates.

They sat down on a bench to take their shoes off. The snow was still coming down lightly and Niles looked over at Miss Fine. She was gingerly stepping out of her designer shoes and her hair, which had been straightened that morning, swept across her face with flecks of snow in it. He noticed how the light reflected the melting snow in her hair giving her head a sort of sparkly, crystal-like appearance.

She abruptly looked over at him and caught Niles eyeing her. "Whaat? Is there something wrong? Do I look funny?"

Niles was embarrassed that he'd been caught looking at her. "Oh! No of course not…uh but…" he thought of something quickly, "Your ear muffs are a tad crooked." He reached over and adjusted her ear muffs for her. "There, much better now."

"Thanks."

"Anytime."

"Oh darnit!" Fran cried out suddenly. She threw her muffs off in frustration.

"What's the matter?" Niles asked as he finished tying up his last skate.

"I can't get my skate on. It's too tight. And this was the biggest size they had. Oy, I have such big feet!" Fran wailed.

"There, there Miss Fine. Let me take a look." Niles knelt down on his knees so that he was facing Miss Fine seated on the bench. He gently took her stockinged foot in his gloved hand. He pulled the skate up to her foot and suddenly stopped.

"What?" She asked.

"Oh these gloves. Hold on a moment." He took his gloves off and took her foot in his hand again. Fran could feel the warmth coming off of his fingers. It warmed her practically numbed foot.

"Mmm…" she murmured softly not even realizing she had vocalized it. Niles looked up at her. Funny, she had a look on her face that showed her enormous satisfaction of his holding her foot.

"Are my hands warm?" He asked.

"Hm, what? Oh!" Fran realized then that Niles was staring at her. A few tiny snowflakes had fallen on his face near his electric-blue eyes. They were shining brightly at her. She laughed loudly. "Yes, they are. You know I feel like Cinderella, wishing the glass slipper would fit." She jumped into character, "Oh! My Prince, try the slipper on me!"

It was Niles' turn to laugh. She was such a joy to be with. "All right my dear," he said slipping into the part, "Let us see if the slipper be fitting." He gave her foot a little shove and suddenly it was in the skate.

Fran threw her arms around his neck, "Oh! My Prince! My Hero!"

Niles chuckled feeling suddenly warmed by her embrace.

"All right, one more to go." He picked up her right skate and slid it on as before.

Fran realized one of the laces had gotten caught inside the skate and she bent her head down to pull it off. Niles smelt a wave of a flowery lavender scent flaring in his nostrils. The presence of Miss Fine so close to him caused him to look up and see her hovering about half an inch from his bright-eyed face. He sucked in a deep breath.

Fran caught his eyes with her own. She felt a nervous clenching balled up in her stomach. He was staring straight at her, not looking away. Niles felt the below freezing temperature of the outdoors shoot up to tropical climate conditions. His heart raced and his mouth felt strangely dry.

Unable to help herself or even realize what she was doing, Fran stared at his firm and well-defined mouth. She swallowed but here was no moisture in her mouth. Her breathing had become erratic and suddenly stopped altogether as Niles put a hand lightly on her thigh. Her thigh tingled and suddenly her feet weren't the only part of her body that had gone numb. For once in her life she knew what she wanted. What she wanted at that moment was to be in his strong arms, she wanted to run her hands through his corn-silk hair, she wanted to feel his smooth-skinned cheek brushed up against hers and smell his intoxicating scent.

Niles watched her fixedly. Her warm breath brought life into his slowly numbing face. He slowly brought his head around to the left side of her face. His mouth was centimeters from Fran's face. Ever so tenderly, he brought his lips to her cool cheek and kissed it. He held it a moment and slowly let go. Fran felt her entire left side of her body go numb. The feel of Niles' mouth and his presence so closely to made her feel very loopy- almost as if she were drugged. She let out a breath she'd been holding for some time.

Niles put his lips to her cheek again and again. Her face was suddenly warming up. She sighed with pleasure.

"Miss Fine…" he muttered still trailing kisses across her cheek and gradually nearing her ear.

"Hmm?" Fran closed her eyes tilting her head back slightly.

"I want….you…to know…this isn't part of 'playing the part'…" He hovered next to her ear. His silky smooth voice sent a tingle down Fran's spine. "This is me, NOT me playing the part." With that said he brought his lips to her ear lobe and kissed it lightly, continuing on up her ear. Fran shivered with delight. Her ears were quite possibly the most sensitive part of her. When she felt the smooth wetness of his tongue trace the outline of her ear, Fran thought she would die. She felt as if her brain had been inserted with helium and any moment she would start spinning up towards the heavens. She moaned with satisfaction, "Ohh…Niiiles…"

Not wanting to but feeling he must stop himself, Niles gently pulled back. He certainly wanted to continue…she…she had infected him like a virus.

She looked up at him suddenly, her face filled with worry. "Oh Niles….I ….I feel sort of confused. I'm not sure that this is…." she trailed off trying to find the words to explain but they wouldn't come.

Niles' face dropped slowly. This wasn't the reaction he was expecting. He felt a tug from within him as if his chest muscles had been severely strained.

She looked so lost to him.

She put a hand to his cheek and Niles straightened up. She stood up to his level. "I'm so sorry sweetie…can you take me home please?" Fran looked away quickly as she bit her lip.

Niles swallowed hard, "Sure…certainly Miss Fine."

Fran felt terrible as she saw Niles' shoulders droop. He looked like a wounded puppy. She did this to him…she started it…she played along as if her and Niles were really….and he had started to actually fall for her. And how was this affecting her? This little game of pretend love? She knew how she still felt about Mr. Sheffield. And she couldn't get him out of her mind. But she couldn't believe she had done this to Niles. Her best friend. She was starting to get what she wanted. Mr. Sheffield was getting increasingly jealous…but at the cost of hurting Niles. The thought chilled her to the bone. None of it seemed worth it. A horrible ache gnawed at her insides and though she tried to get Niles to look at her during the ride home, he wouldn't meet her eyes.