Friends and Lovers
Chapter Two
January 28, 1991
"Hey, did you guys see the game yesterday? The Giants RULE, man!" Tommy approached Brighton and Anthony in the auditorium.
The boys exchanged glances. "No, uh, we don't watch the Superbowl anymore." Anthony looked at his shoes. He hoped his friend wouldn't push it.
"Oh, your mom doesn't like football?"
"Not anymore."
"You should've come over to my house. We always have a huge party, lots of food, and a huge television to watch the game."
"Tommy, you dork. His dad was killed on Superbowl Sunday. So we don't watch it."
"What about you, Sheffield, you go along with him? How sweet."
"Brighton's mother was killed the same day. Some drunk jerk hit my dad's car and killed him, then ran over the people in the crosswalk."
"Oh, man, I didn't know that." Tommy walked away and sat with his parents. They saw him whisper something to his mom and give her a hug.
"Hey, A.B, your mom's here!" He waved, and then the boys ran over to meet her.
"Hi, Mom! Hi, Reenie!"
"Hi, Sweetie, how was school? Hi, Brighton!" She hugged both boys.
"It was cool, Mom. I just get tired of telling everyone why I didn't watch the stupid game."
"Honey, you could have watched it in your room."
"No, it's OK. I really don't wanna watch it."
Fran looked around. "Is your daddy here yet, B.?"
"No, he's working late at the theater...as usual. The nanny's coming."
"Is this the same one?"
"No, she quit, this is a new one again." He kicked the back of the chair. "I hate nannies."
She pulled him into her and hugged him tightly. "Honey, I'm sure your dad's doing the best he can."
"Yeah, he doesn't even show up for the PTA meetings, he sends the nanny. What's SHE gonna do, she's not our mom."
"Well, at least someone's here for you, Angel."
"YOU'RE here. We don't need a nanny."
"I told B. he could borrow you if he needed a mom to talk to. Uh, actually, I told Maggie, too. I didn't think you'd mind, Mom."
"No, Honey, I don't mind at all." She looked at her son lovingly, and brushed a stray dark curl from his eyes.
"And I told A.B. that if he could corner my dad, he could talk to him about man stuff."
"You two have it all figured out, don't you?" She laughed and looked down at her daughter. "Why don't you two play with Reenie for a few minutes, until the meeting's ready to start? She needs to run off some energy."
"Sure, Ma!" The boys grinned at each other, and then each of them grabbed one of the toddler's hands.
"Be careful. NO swinging her in the air." They looked at each other, then back at Fran. How did she KNOW what they were going to do? They walked the child over to a group of kids and sat on the floor to play.
"Hi, Mrs. Bergman."
Fran turned around and met the girl's shy gaze. "Hi, Maggie. Now, Honey, how many times do I have to tell ya, it's FRAN?"
She giggled and looked at her shoes. "OK, Fran." She looked around the room.
"Brighton's over there, playing with Anthony and Reenie, your nanny isn't here yet."
"Can we sit with you?"
"Absolutely, Sweetie. I saved us all seats close to the front." She led the girl down to the second row, where Fran took off her coat and laid it on one of the seats. "We'll save the two end seats for your nanny and Gracie." She looked at her watch. "Go ahead and have a seat, and I'll go get the boys and Reenie, by the time I get them settled, they should be ready to start the meeting." She retrieved the children and spent several minutes rearranging seating assignments. Just as the headmistress took the stage, Fran spied a woman walk in with Gracie in tow. "Maggie, go get the nanny and show her where we're sittin'." Maggie nodded and brought them back to the seats they'd saved for them.
"Thank you for saving us seats, Grace couldn't decide what she wanted to wear. I'm Judy Martin, their new nanny." She extended her hand to Fran.
Fran shook her hand and smiled warmly. "I'm Fran Fine. Brighton and Anthony are best friends."
She looked over at the boys. "I understand they've been almost inseparable since they met."
Fran laughed. "Yeah, they met in Pre School. Ya wanna talk inseparable..." As if on cue, Gracie climbed over Fran to sit in the seat with Reenie. "THESE two girls, you'd think they were sisters. Every time they see each other, they run and hug each other, and cry when it's time to go home."
The two women continued to whisper to each other, not paying much attention to the meeting, until Fran heard her son's name called.
"Anthony Bergman...oh, and Brighton Sheffield, how wonderful! Are you sure your parents won't mind?"
"Mom, can I do it?"
Fran didn't want it to show that she hadn't been paying attention. "Sure, Honey!"
"Brighton, what about you? Your father won't mind?"
"Dad's a producer, he'll love it that I want to help produce the pageant."
The nanny looked shocked. "Mr. Sheffield is gonna kill that boy."
"Not if I kill BOTH of them first. That's what I get for gabbing instead of listening."
"Mrs. Bergman, could you stay after the meeting, and we can go over some of the details? Then maybe you can fill Mr. Sheffield in later."
"Sure, no problem." She turned to the nanny. "Is he gonna show at ALL tonight?"
"He said he'd try after he finished at the theater. He spends an awful lot of time there. Hey, if I'm gonna have to sit here and wait, I'm gonna need a cigarette, can you watch the kids?"
Oh, now THERE'S a role model for these kids. "Yeah, go 'head. They're fine." She watched Judy leave, and then turned her attention to the kids. She reached into her bag, pulled out some crackers and dried fruit, and passed them down for them to share. She felt Judy return, but noticed her perfume had changed. It smelled more like...like…she knew that smell… Aramis. She turned back to tell the man who had just sat down that the seat was taken, and found herself looking into the adorable green eyes of Maxwell Sheffield.
"Hi, you made it. Your nanny wasn't sure if you'd be here."
He looked around. "Where IS my nanny?"
"She said she was goin' outside for a smoke." She saw him frown and look at the door. "Don't worry about it, the kids are fine, and we have to stick around after the meeting anyway."
"Why? What did Brighton do now?"
"Oh, they didn't do anything wrong. He and Anthony volunteered to be the student producers of the spring pageant."
"And who are the adult producers?" He looked over at his son, who was quietly playing with Anthony's Nintendo.
"Who do ya think? For the winter pageant, it was the kids and their parents. So I guess you and I are the producers."
"He'll have to tell them he can't do it. I don't have time for this."
"Well, you'd betta MAKE time, Mista, because Anthony wants to do it, which means B. will be helping him, and I'm NOT doin' it alone!" She crossed her arms across her chest and faced back forward. He could tell by the tone of her voice she meant business.
He leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Do you always give Anthony what he wants?"
She turned her face to answer him and their noses were almost touching. God, he smelled good. She smiled at him. "Yeah, pretty much, as long as he behaves himself."
"And how do you get him to behave all the time? He and Brighton are total opposites in that regard."
Fran grew quiet and turned away, her eyes filling with tears. She didn't want to get into this right now. She didn't want to tell him that the last time her son misbehaved was the day his father died. In his child's mind, he believed that his father died because he was bad. Fran knew that her son was alive because he acted out. If his father hadn't put him in time out and left without him, she would have lost her husband AND her son that day.
Max watched her as she sat next to him. He tried to make it appear he was watching his children, but she wasn't fooled for one minute. What all did she HAVE in that bag? She pulled out crayons and a coloring book for the younger girls, handed a fashion magazine to Maggie, there were snacks of all kinds, what did she tell the children? It was a nosh? She managed to keep five children quiet and happy, and still was able to take notes.
After the meeting, Fran, Max, Judy, and the five children stayed to get the information about the Spring Pageant. It was after dinnertime, and Fran's stomach was complaining a bit. She hoped no one noticed.
"Mom, can we go get pizza?"
"Sure, Honey, that's a good idea, it's already past dinner time."
"Can we go to Chuck E. Cheese?" At the mention of the Mecca of children's pizza parlors, all the children became excited. "Can they come, too?" Anthony pointed to Max and children.
Fran looked at Max and smiled. "Sure, the more the merrier. You're welcome to come with us, unless you have other plans." God, she hoped he'd come with them.
"Please, Dad?"
He looked at the pleading looks on the faces of his children. He had no idea what this Chuck E. Cheese was, but he was about to find out.
"Oh, all right. I just need to call Niles and let him know we're going out for dinner."
"Mr. Sheffield, I have my car here, so, if you don't mind, I'll skip the pizza, and just go on home." There was no way she was going to sit in that noisy game room with a bunch of screaming children.
Max looked upset. The nanny's place was with the children. "Fine, we'll call a limo to take us to this chucky place."
"Oh, you don't have to do that; my Range Rover will hold everyone, since Judy isn't coming. We'll just need to move Gracie's car seat over, that's all."
"Are you sure?"
"No problem at all. Come on kids, start thinking about what you want on your pizza." Fran loaded everyone into her car and headed to the pizza parlor. When they arrived, Fran pulled a twenty-dollar bill out of her purse and handed it to Maggie. "Here, Honey, makes sure everybody gets the same amount of tokens." The kids ran over to the token dispenser, leaving Max looking very confused. "The tokens are for the rides and games. That should hold them over until the pizza's ready"
"Then you must let me buy the pizza, since you bought their tokens."
"You've never been here before, have ya? Tell ya what, we'll split dinner, and you pick up the next round of tokens. Trust me, four dollars per kid doesn't go very far." She ordered the pizzas, and two salads, and they sat and watched the children play while they enjoyed the salads.
"The children certainly get along well, don't they?" He laughed as he watched the two youngest children playing. "Look at the girls, the way the little ones hold hands wherever they go, and the way they follow Maggie around. I've really missed a lot of their growing up."
She laid her hand on his. "It's not too late, Max. Maybe this pageant is just the thing to get you back into their lives." And maybe mine.
"Perhaps. I just don't know how to start."
She didn't want to tell him that the first thing he needed to was stop hiding in his office. "How about Friday night, bring the kids over after school, they can do their homework, we'll work on the pageant, and you'll all stay for dinner, how's that sound?"
He turned his hand over, wrapping it around hers and giving it a gentle squeeze. "That sounds wonderful, I'm sure the children would enjoy that." He looked into her eyes. He was sure that he'd enjoy spending more time with her, as well. It had been a long time since they'd spent any time together.
As she looked into his eyes, something stirred in her that she hadn't felt for a long time. There was something about this man, she loved the way his hand felt around hers, she felt so comfortable being close to him, like the way she felt when she first met Tony. Like the way she felt when they she and Max were in London. A voice in the back of her head told her to pull her hand away, but her body wasn't listening.
"Number 42? Here's your pizza." The waiter set two large pizzas in front of them, breaking the spell.
Max cleared his throat. "Thank you."
Fran took a deep breath. "I'll go get the kids." As she got up and walked to the play area, Max watched her every move. He was definitely looking forward to spending more time with her.
The group settled down to enjoying their pizza, laughing and talking. Anyone watching would have thought them to be a happy family. An elderly couple stopped at their table to admire the children. They smiled at Fran and Max as they patted the youngest girls on the head. "Such lovely children you have."
They smiled at each other, and then back at the couple. "Thank you." They laughed and nudged each other as the couple walked away.
"You know what they thought, don't you? Max nodded toward the children.
"Yeah, they think I had an affair with a blond guy." She laughed and pointed at Brighton and Maggie.
After dinner, Max treated the children to another round of tokens, and he and Fran sat and talked a bit more. She had always been so easy to talk to, and she understood his pain over losing Sarah. That Sunday had been a low point in both their lives, now, two years later, he was finally able to start talking about it. When the children had spent all their tokens, he was tempted to buy another round, just so he could sit and talk with her a bit longer, but Grace was yawning, and Irene was starting to fuss. Both little girls came over and climbed up into Fran's lap for comfort. Before Max could round up Maggie and the boys, the girls were asleep in her arms.
"Oh, goodness, here, let me take Grace. Can you carry Irene?"
"Yeah, I'm used to it. Maggie, Honey, get my keys out of my purse for me, would ya? Can you open the doors for us?"
Maggie beamed. She'd never been trusted with such a grown up task before. "Sure, Fran." She reached into Fran's large Prada bag and fumbled around until she found the keys. "Which one...oh, never mind, it says Range Rover on it, right?"
"Right, Honey. Open the back so the boys can get in, then we'll get the girls in their car seats."
"You make this all look so easy, Fran. How do you juggle everything?"
"I don't work during the school year, well, if it's a one day shoot, I'll work, as long as I'm home by three. Then during the summer, I take the kids with me wherever I'm working."
"Yeah, that means I can't see Brighton all summer again."
"Anthony, you know I only worked a few weeks last summer." She closed the back door and walked around to the side door. "Tony had good life insurance, and I was able to put enough away that I don't have to work all the time." She put Irene in her car seat and strapped her in.
"Just enough to pay the bills, eh?" He remembered their conversations in London, who was she kidding, she didn't have to work for the rest of her life.
"Well, the house and the cars are all paid for. Tony had a couple of good jobs over the holidays, so he bought me the Mercedes for our fifth anniversary." She leaned against the side of the vehicle while Max strapped Grace in her seat, then tapped the side with her hand. "This, he bought the day I told him that I was pregnant with Irene. The Mercedes was fine for schlepping Anthony around, but no room for a car seat for the baby." She grew quiet as she climbed into the driver's seat. "Everybody buckled up? Boys?"
"Yeah, we're set, Ma."
Fran found a light jazz station on the radio for the ride back to Max's house. She could see the boys in the back playing air instruments. Brighton was on the drums and Anthony on saxophone. She smiled and flipped her head back to show Max, who smiled and shook his head. They pulled up in front of the house, and Fran got out to open the back door to let Brighton out. "You gonna ride up front with me, Honey?"
"Yeah, Ma." Anthony hopped out and surprised Max with a hug goodbye, then gave Brighton a high five before getting into the front passenger seat.
Max gently pulled Grace from the car seat, never waking her. "Good night Fran, we'll see you Friday afternoon, say about four?"
"That will work. See you then." He leaned forward and kissed her cheek softly, inhaling the soft scent of her perfume one last time. She rubbed his arm. "You'd better get inside, it's freezing out here."
"Be careful going home, the road looks like it's getting icy."
"I will, thanks." She climbed back in and drove off slowly, watching him in her rear view mirror. He stood and watched until she turned the corner, then took the children inside.
By Friday, Maxwell had worked himself into a nervous wreck. All he could think about was London, four years ago. She hadn't mentioned it, she couldn't have forgotten, could she? "Maxwell, what is WRONG with you today? You've been pacing like a caged tiger."
"Worried about your big date tonight, sir?" Niles cast a sideways glance at his boss's business partner to see her reaction.
"Niles, it is NOT a DATE. I'm simply taking the children over to Fran's for a sort of play date, and to work on the school pageant. Just because we are also eating dinner there does not make it a date...does it? Niles, maybe you'd better bring up a nice bottle of wine."
"Excellent idea, sir. Any idea what she's serving?"
"I haven't a clue, but considering she's also feeding five children, I'm certain it's nothing too fancy."
"Maxwell, since when have you been so interested in the children's school activities? Don't you pay the nanny to take care of these things?"
"Since Brighton volunteered us for the pageant. It seems this is a parent-student cooperative effort. He and his best friend volunteered to chair the event, so Fran and I were also volunteered. This is not something the nanny should be handling. Niles, please see to the wine, we'll be leaving as soon as the children arrive home and change their clothes." He looked at his business suit. "Maybe I should change, as well...something more casual."
"Oh, for goodness sakes, Maxwell, we've got work to do, here, what does it matter what you wear?"
He looked at his watch. "C.C., you can handle the rest of the paperwork, can't you? I'm going upstairs to get ready." He exited his office leaving his stunned business partner alone. He went upstairs and straight to his closet. No, this isn't a date, old man; you don't need to dress to impress her. He chose a pair of dark charcoal grey slacks, and a white cashmere mock turtleneck. Perfect. Not too dressy, but nice enough that if this WAS meant to be a date, he was dressed for it. He took a quick shower, and as he emerged, he heard the children fighting in the hall. He pulled on his robe and opened his door.
"Maggie, Brighton, stop your fighting this instant. Go in your rooms and get changed, remember we're going to Fran's to work on the pageant and for dinner."
"You're really doing this? Cool! Thanks, Dad." Brighton rushed forward and hugged his father before running down the hall to his room. Max stepped back into his room and closed the door. He dressed and spent several minutes working on his hair, making sure it was perfect. As an afterthought, he picked up his bottle of Aramis and splashed a bit on. When he started down the stairs, all three children were sitting on the bottom stair waiting for him.
"It's about time, Dad." Maggie laughed and turned around. "Wow, you look nice. You should get out of your suits more often."
"Yeah Dad, you look good. I think Anthony's mom will be impressed." He sniffed his father as he walked past them. He couldn't remember the last time he'd smelled cologne on his dad.
Niles appeared in the foyer with the bottle of wine Max had requested. "I see everyone's ready, I've pulled the car around front."
"Thank you, Niles. Children, shall we?" He herded the children out the door and into the limo. Niles turned left on Fifth Avenue. Five blocks later, he turned up 70th Street. "Niles, I thought they lived on 68th."
"They do, Sir, but we have to go this way, due to the medical center between Park and Lexington."
"If you walk, you can walk right through the medical center, Dad."
"You've walked to their house? It's that close?" Before Brighton could answer, Niles had made a right on Lexington, and a quick left onto 68th, and was pulling up in front of the townhouse.
"Yeah, Dad, it's that close. Isn't it cool? They have four floors and a huge basement. And you should see the back yard!"
Maggie smiled. "Yeah, Niles will go nuts if he sees her herb garden."
The front door of the townhouse flew open and Anthony rushed down the stairs to meet his friend. "Hi, B.! Hi, everybody, Mom's downstairs in the kitchen, she said to come on in."
Max looked up the stairs just in time to see little Irene trying to go down the stairs after her brother. He bounded up the stairs two at a time and scooped up the child as she started to fall forward. His heart was racing; he realized just how close this baby was to taking a nasty fall down the concrete steps. He checked her out to make sure she hadn't bumped anything, though he was sure she hadn't. She was laughing and trying to give him hugs and kisses. "Come along, children, let's not leave the door open all afternoon." Niles followed behind the children and shut the front doors. This was a beautiful town home. Anthony took it upon himself to play tour director.
"This is the library. We'll do our homework in here. The living room is back that way, and the fastest way to the terrace is out that back door. You can either get to the garden from there, or from the kitchen downstairs."
"You should see the playrooms, Dad! They EACH have a bedroom AND a playroom of their OWN!" Brighton was pulling his father towards the stairs.
Anthony led them up to the third floor. "Well, this was my parents' room, but after my dad died, mom moved us upstairs, so Reenie and I could have our own rooms, and she could be across the hall from us. It's kinda cool, our rooms are never a mess, and we have this cool big tub down here." He led them up to the fourth floor, and pointed to the two rooms at the end of the hallway. "Our bedrooms are small, but we have the playrooms, so it doesn't matter." He pointed to the room at the end of the hall, and began to walk that way. "THIS is my favorite room in the whole house." He opened the door and walked inside. Maxwell followed him in and looked around. This had to be Fran's bedroom. There was a black leather sofa filled with overstuffed leopard print pillows over by the brickwork of the chimney. Then he saw the bed. She had a king sized bed with a black fur bedspread, and more leopard print pillows. The bed frame was draped with white mosquito netting, pulled back with leopard print sashes. He closed his eyes and could envision her lying on the bed, beckoning him with those inviting dark eyes. He shook his head to clear that vision, although he was sure it was permanently seared into his mind. The children were already laughing and heading down the stairs. Niles looked at him with a slight smile as he closed the door.
"I know what you're thinking." Niles taunted him in a singsong voice.
"Get your mind out of the gutter, Niles." He headed down the stairs.
"Vacating the gutter, Sir." Niles muttered quietly as he followed his employer down the stairs.
Max stopped at the third floor for directions to the kitchen, then headed down two flights of stairs to the first floor. They ended up in a formal dining room, then turned down the hallway and found Fran working in the kitchen. Niles stood in the doorway with his mouth hanging open.
"Will you be hiring a butler, Mrs. Bergman?" He ignored the dirty look from Max.
She turned around and smiled brightly at them. "Hi, I didn't hear you come in." She walked over and hugged the men warmly. "A butler, Niles? What would I do with a butler? And my name's Fine. I've gone back to my maiden name."
"Well, you could turn him loose in this beautiful kitchen and that amazing garden, for starters." He looked longingly toward the back door.
"Niles, my garden is your garden. Go out and take a look. You're welcome to come by and raid it any time, although there's not much out there right now but bird seed."
"Oh, don't tell him that, you'll have him over here every day."
As long as he brings his sexy boss along! OY, stop it, Francine! "Oh, don't you listen to him, Niles. I could do with some adult conversation around here from time to time." They watched Niles head out the back door and into the garden.
"Everything smells wonderful, Fran."
"Thanks. I tried to fix something the kids would eat, and that we'd like as well, so I decided on a ham, and made some baked macaroni and cheese."
He looked at the vegetables on the counter. "And green beans, I see. Those are the children's favorites."
"I know, B. told me. I'm using you as guinea pigs for dessert. Nadine, that's my sister, found a great recipe for baked apples in pastry, so I'm trying it out for her." She pointed to the pantry. "They're in the pantry refrigerator, take a peek."
He walked into the pantry and looked around. Subzero, deep sink, counter space, washer and dryer, even a bathroom. He opened the refrigerator and saw the delectable treats on the top shelf. "They look wonderful. Don't show this room to Niles, you'll never get him out of your hair."
"Don't show me what?" Niles was crossing the kitchen heading for the pantry. Fran stepped out of the way, but Max attempted to block the door. Niles ducked under his arm and stood and stared, mouth gaping. "Why don't you just shoot me?"
"Wha?" Fran poked her head around the corner, laughing.
"You have a butler's pantry, but no butler. He has a butler, with no butler's pantry."
"Life just isn't fair, is it, Old Man?" Max patted him on the back as he moved back into the kitchen.
"Are you staying for dinner, Niles?"
"Oh, no, Mrs. Berg, uh, Miss Fine, I was just helping Mr. Sheffield get the children into the house. He was busy tending to your little one."
"Irene? What happened?"
"Anthony was a bit anxious to see Brighton, and left the door open when he came down the front stairs. His sister tried to follow, and I thought she was going to take a tumble."
Fran sighed. "I've told him a hundred times to shut the front doors so his sister doesn't go after him. She adores her brother; she thinks she has to follow him wherever he goes. I even find her in bed with him some mornings."
"That's sweet."
Fran laughed. "Her brother doesn't seem to think so." She opened the door to the dining room. "You want a drink before we get started with the kids?"
"Thanks, I'd love one. Niles, what happened to the wine we brought?"
"I sat in on the table in the library before we went upstairs on the grand tour, sir."
"The grand tour, huh? The bar's in the living room, upstairs. Did he show you the whole house?" Fran's cheeks flushed at the thought of him in her bedroom.
"Every room but this one. He just pointed it out as we went up the stairs." He looked at the inviting overstuffed sofas and chairs in this room. "Did you decorate the house yourself?"
"Most of it. The den was all Tony; he used it as an office. That way he didn't have to have clients all over the house. The basement is all him, too. I haven't changed it because the boys like it. There's a projection television, wet bar, microwave, comfortable chairs, and sports memorabilia all over the place, even a pool table. I hate going down to the wine cellar when a game's on. If I let him, my father would move in."
"So who's the sports nut, your father or Anthony?"
"Dad, I guess. Anthony likes to watch football, but stops at the playoffs. The boys at school were a bit put out because he wouldn't invite them over for the Superbowl." She poured him a glass of wine and took it over to him. "You would have been so proud of Brighton, the way he stood by him the other day." Her eyes filled with tears as she turned away from him and clicked on the intercom. The sound of children's laughter could be heard pouring from the speaker. "Do you hear five voices?"
"I think so...yes, there's Maggie."
She pushed another button on the keypad. "Anthony?"
"Yeah, Ma?"
"Ten more minutes, then you kids need to start your homework, all right?"
"OK, Ma!"
She clicked off the intercom and sat on the sofa. "Sit down; we've got ten minutes of quiet."
"Sir, if there's nothing else, I'll head on back to the house. What time shall I pick you up?"
He looked at Fran. "You think we'll be done by nine?"
"We can be done for tonight by nine."
"Very good, sir. Have a nice dinner."
"You sure you don't wanna stay, Niles?"
"Oh, no, I think I'm going to go home and enjoy a nice quiet evening alone. See you at nine, Sir."
Max watched his butler close the door and walked back over to the large sofa. "This is a nice room, so peaceful."
"Thanks, I think so, too. Would you like a fire?"
"That would be nice, but let me do it." He looked around the room. "Where will I find the logs?"
"On the terrace." She got up, opened the French doors, and pointed him to the stacked firewood. "It's starting to snow again." Max grabbed an armful of wood, and then Fran stepped out and picked up some extra, following him to the fireplace. She sat the wood next to the hearth and hurried over to close the doors. "Brr…It's getting COLD!"
"I'll have this fire going in just one second...there." He stood up and looked over at her. "You must be freezing, come over by the fire." She moved over closer to the fire, to take advantage of its warmth. Max reached over and rubbed her upper arms to help her warm up. Fran held her breath as he touched her. His hands were soft and warm. She looked up into his hypnotic green eyes and shivered slightly. "Still cold? Can I get you a sweater or something?"
"I'm fine, Max, thanks." She couldn't believe she was actually hoping he'd take her into his arms to warm her up. Just the mere thought of this caused a warm feeling that started at the tip of her toes and spread through her entire body. "I'd better get the kids down here to do their homework." She walked over and clicked the intercom. "Kids, time's up."
"Be right down, Ma!"
"Hold your sister's hand."
"I've got her, Fran."
"Thanks, Maggie."
She listened for the sound of the kid's footsteps coming down the stairs, and then turned back to Max. "Can you keep an ear open for them while I go check on dinner? Reenie likes to terrorize her big brother while he does his homework."
"Grace does the same thing to Brighton and Maggie. How about I take the girls up to the playroom and keep them occupied?"
She grabbed his upper arm and smiled. "That would be a lifesaver. I'll go downstairs and put the macaroni in the oven, baste the ham, get the beans ready to steam...all without a two year old hanging from my leg. I'll turn on the intercom in the kitchen, so if you need me, just talk. The intercom is always open in the playrooms. I'll let you know when it's time for dinner."
"Sounds good. Glad I can help." He watched her disappear down the staircase. "Grace, Irene, how about we go up and play till dinner?"
Brighton stifled a laugh. "YOU, Dad?"
"Unless you'd rather the girls stay here."
"Uh, no, Dad. Have fun!" Max scooped up Irene, took Grace by the hand, and headed up to the playroom. Down in the kitchen, Fran switched on the intercom and listened as he laughed and the girls giggled
"I love you, Daddy." Fran smiled as she pictured Gracie hugging her father.
"I love you, too, Baby."
Fran froze as she heard the next voice. "Love you, Daddy." She knew she was just imitating Grace. Fran wiped away a tear, as she thought of her daughter not remembering her father.
"I love you too, Reenie!" Fran heard her daughter erupt into giggles yet again, and then Grace joined her. THIS she had to see. She climbed the stairs to the living room and checked on the children in the den, then put her finger to her lips as she headed up the stairs to the third floor. She knew they were in the back playroom, so she snuck through the front room into the bathroom to spy on them. Max had taken off his shoes, and was on the floor with the two little girls climbing all over him. She smiled, and slowly backed out of the room and headed back down the stairs. She stopped at the den table and checked the boys' homework, then returned to the kitchen. She pulled the ham out of the oven, and put the green beans on the stovetop to steam, then went into the dining room and lit a small fire before setting the table. She always loved this room. Her house was over 125 years old, and this room reflected it. She'd found an old gas light, and had it wired for electricity, and scoured antique fairs looking for the perfect dishes and glassware. When her guests sat to dinner, she liked them to feel like they'd stepped back in time. She lit the candles on the mantle and the sideboard, and dimmed the chandelier slightly. Perfect. She returned to the kitchen and checked the macaroni and cheese. Perfectly browned. She pulled it from the oven and turned off the beans.
"Max? Girls? Dinner's ready."
"We'll be right down, Sweetheart" She heard Grace giggle. She must have caught his mistake. At least, she thought it was a mistake. SWEETHEART? She decided to let him know she heard him.
"Uh, Honey, will you grab the kids from the den before you come down? Make sure everyone washes up. The older kids can use the second floor bathroom, and you can bring the little ones down here."
She was in the pantry pulling the apples from the refrigerator when Max appeared in the kitchen. "You want them to just wash in the sink?"
"No, there's a washroom back here." She opened the door at the back of the pantry. "There's actually one on every floor...except the basement. I keep saying I'm putting one in there, but Anthony says it'll take up too much space."
"What does your father say about it?"
"If I put a bathroom down there, I'll never get rid of him. I always lock this bathroom when he's here, so he has to schlep up two flights of stairs. Once I have him on the parlor floor, it's easy to just push him out the front door." She laughed. "Maybe next time you're here you can take a look and see what you think." Their eyes met, and they stayed locked in each other's gaze. Suddenly, it felt as if were raining. "Grace, Irene, we HAVE towels!" The girls had soaked their hands and were shaking the water all over the pantry. Fran herded them back to the bathroom and dried their hands. "OK, you two, are ya ready to eat?" The girls both nodded. The older children met them in the kitchen. "Anthony, will you show our guests to the table, and I'll bring everything in?"
"Sure, Ma."
"Can I help?"
"Thanks, I can manage. One of us needs to be in the dining room with the kids."
"All right, children, you heard her." He pushed the swinging door open and was amazed by the sight awaiting him. As he sat the children, Fran appeared with the ham. "This is beautiful."
"Thanks. I love this room."
"I can see why."
She smiled and disappeared back into the kitchen, returning with the macaroni and the green beans. "Oh, I forgot the salad, be right back." She returned with a tray of salad and a variety of dressings. "OK, Max, why don't you bring me the children's plates."
Max collected all the plates and brought them to the sideboard. Fran filled the plates and Max sat them in front of the children.
"Wow, this looks GOOD!"
"Thank you, B.!"
"Is there dessert, Ma?"
"It's in the oven, sweetie. I need to take it out in about 10 minutes."
"What is it?"
She glanced at Max. "It's a surprise." Max smiled and nodded. Anthony looked at the adults and opened his mouth to protest, but thought better of it.
The two families sat down to eat, laughing and joking as if they had been together forever.
Meanwhile, back at the Sheffield house, Niles was trying to enjoy a quiet evening alone, which didn't quite go exactly as he'd planned. When he arrived home, he found C.C. Babcock sitting in the living room. She was less than pleased to find that he hadn't stayed to spy on Max with this woman. She poured a large glass of scotch and slammed into the office. Niles went into the kitchen and began preparing his dinner, and after about an hour, C.C. appeared in the door.
"I suppose I'll head on home, Niles. How long is Maxwell going to stay over at HER house?"
"I'm picking him up around nine tonight." She looked like she'd lost her only friend. Niles, taking notice of it, sighed, "Miss Babcock, would you care to join me for dinner tonight? I've made plenty. I was going to eat alone and watch a movie, but I thought, maybe, you'd like to stick around and keep me company."
"Have you lost your mind, Hazel? I'd rather spend the evening alone than with a glorified janitor!"
Well, it was a shot. At least he'd tried to be civil. "Suit yourself." He smiled and turned back to his cooking. C.C. walked slowly through the house and headed for her car. She sat inside and watched the snowflakes softly falling against her windshield. Why had she been so hateful to Niles? Normally he gave as good as he got, but tonight...tonight he was...actually NICE. Having company for dinner and someone to enjoy a movie with would have been nice. She started her BMW and headed for her condo. Maxwell had said he was going to be busy in the evenings with, oh, what IS that boy's name? Fran had the right idea, just call him B... She stopped at a red light and looked at the street sign. 68th Street. She smiled and turned on her left blinker. No harm in driving by and scoping out the competition. She got to Park Avenue and realized she'd have to take the roundabout way to get around this medical center. She turned right on Park and then made a quick left on 65th. Another left on 2nd, and she was almost there. Damn one-way streets. She turned left on 69th, and again on Lexington, then there it was 68th Street. She pulled in front of the 4-story townhouse, situated in a quiet neighborhood, among several galleries. The first floor curtains were open, and she could see everyone inside, laughing, talking, not at all like meals at the Sheffield house. She watched the adults disappear down a hallway, only to emerge with a tray of something, and Fran was carrying ice cream. She can't even afford a butler! Look at her, making her guest help her serve! She kept watching, it actually looked like Maxwell was enjoying making the desserts for the children. C.C. shook her head. She'd seen enough. Time to go home and heat up a lean cuisine.
Inside the townhouse, the children were busy inhaling the warm apples and ice cream. Once the children were served, the adults sat down to enjoy their dessert.
"Fran, this is wonderful! You'll have to give Niles the recipe. Actually, the whole meal was wonderful. I'd forgotten just how enjoyable having dinner with the family can be." The family?
"Don't you usually have dinner with the kids?"
"No, he hides in his office. We eat with Niles."
Max opened his mouth to argue with his son, but found no words. Brighton was right; he HAD been hiding in his office.
"Well, then, you'll all have to come here more often. He can't hide if he has to bring you here." She smiled at him and patted his hand.
"Next time, you'll have to come to OUR house." He wiped his mouth with his napkin. "Actually, I had an idea that might work. Why don't the children all ride home from school together. On the days we work at our house, my driver will bring them there, and when we're working here, the driver can bring them here."
Maggie and the boys started jumping in their seats, followed by Grace and Irene. Fran laughed at the youngest. "Oh, you two aren't even involved. Max, that's a great idea! Do you want to start that Monday?"
"That will be perfect. You can either send Anthony a change of clothes in his backpack, or, better yet, he can keep a couple of outfits in Brighton's room, and I can bring some clothes for Maggie and Brighton. Do you have spare room in Anthony's closet?"
"No, but there's room in the hall closet upstairs."
"This is SO cool! It's almost like we'll have two houses!" Maggie was smiling as she scraped the last bit of ice cream from her bowl.
"Yeah, but there's a better back yard here."
"Oh, Honey, it's pretty cold to play outside." Seeing the sad look on the boys' faces, she softened a bit. "Well, I suppose I can build a fire and make cocoa for after you play." She looked around the table. "OK, if everyone's done, we really need to get started on this pageant. Have you men come up with any ideas?"
"Fran, I'll take the girls upstairs, if you want. We can play while you and Dad work with the boys."
"Maggie, that would be such a help! Thanks so much!"
Brighton didn't want to be outdone. "Anthony and I will take the dishes to the kitchen."
"You want us to load the dishwasher, Ma?"
"No, you get settled in the living room, and I'll be there in just a minute. It won't take me long." She watched Maggie pick up Irene and take Grace's hand and head up the stairs. Max was in the kitchen with the boys, helping them rinse the dishes. "OK, men, why don't you go get more wood for the fire in the living room while I load the dishwasher." She popped her son lightly with towel as he left the room. Once the dishwasher was loaded, Fran grabbed her notepad from the drawer and, after a checking the girls over the intercom, headed up to the living room. As she stepped off the staircase, she saw the three boys wrestling in front of the fireplace. She walked over to move the screen in front of the fire, and was tackled by Brighton and Anthony. She landed with a thud...right on top of Max. His hands came around her back to steady her, and she felt herself relax in his arms. This DID feel good. She was pressed against his chest; lower bodies almost glued together, her legs between his. Aware of the extremely intimate position they were in, and of the snickering of their sons, Fran slowly started to pull from his grasp. Did she imagine it, or did he caress her back as she rose off him?
"I didn't hurt you did I, Mom?'
"No, Honey, I'm OK, but I think I crushed Max." She reached her hand out to help him up.
"Nothing broken, Fran." His eyes never left hers as he stood up to face her. "But you boys need to be more careful, you could have hurt your mother."
The boys looked at each other and giggled, and Brighton whispered, "OUR mother?"
Fran grabbed a pen from the mantle and sat cross-legged on the floor. "OK, tell me your ideas, guys."
"Well, we thought a parent-child talent competition might be fun." They saw the look exchanged by their parents. "You know, the kids compete, and the parents compete, and the parent and their child that has the highest score wins."
Fran looked confused. "Do you mean highest combined score, Honey? Like if Brighton got a first place, and Max got 4th, and you got a second and I got a third, you and I would win?"
"Actually, Fran, THAT would be a tie." Max grinned at her.
"Oh, did I say 4th? Max got a 5th place. There, now we win." She winked at her son.
"Well, we'd have to figure out how to do the points to make it fair for everyone. I mean you and Max can sing, but can you dance?"
"You sing Fran? Do you dance, too?"
"Maybe we can find a scoring for removing a high heel from a yenta's butt! Anthony, that's a secret."
"So, that's a yes. Actually, I dance a bit, too, but it's been a long time."
"I haven't done either since before the kids were born, Max."
"What if we get them to sing together, B.?"
"Yeah, as a finale. That would be perfect!"
"So, let me get this straight. You want us to produce, direct and STAR in this production of yours?"
"Well, gee, Dad, yeah." They were interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell. Fran looked at her watch.
"That must be Niles, it's almost nine."
"Ah, Dad, do we have to go?"
"Brighton, it's getting late, I'm sure Fran needs to start getting her children to bed."
"Boys, why don't you go upstairs and let the girls know it's time." She watched the boys stomp up the stairs, then turned back to Max. "If you don't have any plans tomorrow, why don't you let B. spend the night, I can bring him back tomorrow afternoon."
"Why don't you plan on staying for dinner? Bring pajamas for Reenie, and I can have the nanny get her ready for bed if she gets tired. We can order pizza and all watch a movie. If the kids get tired, they can just sleep over."
"That sounds nice. I'd like that." They walked to the door and let Niles in.
"So, how was dinner?"
Fran laughed and patted his arm. "I'm sure not half as good as your meals are, Niles."
"You need to get her recipe for baked apples, Niles."
"I saved you one, Niles. You'll just need to warm it up."
"Oh, thank you." He looked at his employer. "I suppose I'll need the recipe, too. Unless, of course, you're willing to come and prepare it every time he wants it." He looked at Maxwell slyly. The lame attempt at matchmaking was NOT lost on Max, who narrowed his eyes at his butler in a warning.
Fran didn't miss this either, and smiled at Niles mischievously. "I think I can handle that, Niles. Let me go get your dessert." The two men watched Fran go down the stairs.
"Dad? Earth to Dad! You gonna give me my jacket?" Brighton was tugging his coat out of his father's hands.
"Oh, sorry, Son. How would you like to stay here tonight? Fran's invited you to sleep over and she'll bring you home tomorrow when she comes for dinner."
The boys high fived each other. "YES!"
Fran's head bobbed up the stairs. "I take it you told them?"
"Told them what?" Max grinned at her. She liked this man. He was a good father, fun to be around, and he WASN'T all over her. He was...comfortable. And that scared her to death.
She put her arms around the boys and smiled. "Now I've got someone to shovel snow tomorrow! We're going to have such a good time!"
Brighton looked up at her wide-eyed. "You don't PAY someone to shovel the snow?"
Anthony laughed. "Yeah, she pays me...and if you help, you'll get paid, too!"
"Cool. I'm movin' in here, Dad."
"Me, too!" Grace hugged Fran's legs.
"Well, we'll have to turn one of the playrooms into a bedroom, then."
Anthony jumped up and down. "Really? Brighton and I can have the room with the closets, the other room can be the playroom, and Grace can have my old room. Can they really move in, Ma?"
"Anthony, NO! We can't just steal someone else's children."
"Well, Max and Maggie can move in, too. Maggie can have the play room, and Max can sleep in your room."
Fran felt her cheeks flush and her mouth go dry. "Sweetie, they have their own house." She bent over and checked the buttons on Grace's coat. "Why don't you say goodbye, and you boys go up and get ready for bed? Get a pair of your pajamas for Brighton." The boys hugged Max and raced up the stairs.
"Night, Maggie, sweet dreams, Honey." She gave the girl a warm hug.
"Night, Fran, thanks for dinner, and for taking my brother off my hands for at least a day. You know, he COULD move in, if Dad says it's OK."
"Margaret! Take your sister and get in the car."
"Yes, Father. Come on Gracie."
"Bye. I love you." Grace hugged Fran again.
"I love you, too, Sweetheart. I'll see you tomorrow."
Grace hugged Irene tightly. "Love you, Reenie" Irene started to cry and clung to Grace. Fran reached down and pulled the girls apart, causing Irene to start crying louder.
"Oh, for goodness sake, Reen, you'll see her tomorrow! Sorry, Max. I'd better get her to bed. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon."
He rubbed her arm gently, then leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Thanks for dinner. I'll see you tomorrow. I hope Brighton isn't too much trouble."
She smiled. This made two times he'd kissed her. Maybe he hadn't forgotten London after all. "He'll be fine. Be safe going home." She watched him walk down the stairs and get into the limo, then stepped back and locked the front door before putting her daughter down. "What got IN to you, young lady?" She locked the second door and started turning off lights, then scooped up the toddler and headed up stairs. "Ready for your bath, Baby Girl?" She put her down in the playroom. Pick out some toys and throw them in the tub, I'll be right there." She walked to intercom and pushed the button. "Anthony? Could you bring me some pajamas for your sister, please?"
"Sure, Ma!" She heard laughter, then her son's footsteps running down the stairs.
"How many times have I asked you to NOT run on the stairs? Now, it's getting late, you two find a book and read for a few minutes, while I bathe your sister, then it's bedtime." He handed her the pajamas. "Thanks, Honey."
"Okaaaay." He did NOT look happy about this.
"You've got all day tomorrow to play with B."
"I know, sorry. Night, I love you."
"I love you more!" Fran finished bathing her daughter, and then settled her in bed with her favorite book. She hadn't read two pages, and the child was sound asleep. She climbed out of the small bed and pulled the covers over the sleeping toddler, and then padded next door to check on the boys. She smiled as the light fell on the fort they'd built to sleep in. She closed the door and turned off the hall light, then made her way to her own room. As she changed into her pajamas, she thought about the man she'd spent the evening with. He was so different from her husband. He was a grown up, well most of the time. She pictured Maxwell on the floor playing with the children. Was he as comfortable with her as she was with him? She reached for the book on her night table, then thought better of it and switched off the light. Those boys would probably be up at the crack of dawn.