His clothes stained beyond belief and the wetness soaking through his skin, Niles paused at the entrance of the restaurant, determined to give this Randolph character a piece of his mind. Who in the hell did the man think he was, wasting perfectly good wine just to throw it in the faces of their guests (literally), and pretend like it was perfectly natural thing? And what woman would possibly even fathom to abuse a man she didn't know by pretending to be an admirer? Why, when he returned home he was going to… no wait… he had a better idea.
With the same determination he marched back into the restaurant, his eyes filled with fire. His finger poised, he poked Randolph hard in the back, causing the maître d to turn around. "Oh, sir-."
"Don't Sir, me!" Niles shouted. "Where is she?"
"Where is whom?"
"Damn it, don't play innocent, Randolph! Where is she? The woman who possessed you to… give me that message! I need a few words with her!"
"I-I don't think that's a good idea!" Randolph stammered.
"I don't care what you think, Randolph! How do you like that?"
"But sir-."
Angrily Niles grabbed Randolph by the lapels of his cheap looking uniformed suit. "I don't care what you think! I want to talk to that woman and I want to talk to her now! Do you understand?"
Randolph's confidence drained away, replaced by a surprising meekness. "O-of course, sir. She's right over there."
Niles followed Randolph's pointed finger to the same dimly lit part of the restaurant where they landed on the same silhouetted couple, who were now engaged in a passionate kiss; the kind he used to share with his wife. The kind he wanted so badly to share with the woman he loved… Daphne.
His heart ached just thinking of her beautiful chestnut hair with the incredible scent of cheery bark and almonds, her warm brown eyes and her caring demeanor. But he knew that he could never have her, for she was engaged to another.
With a sigh he turned to leave. Getting angry wasn't worth it, and it would solve nothing. But he paused when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Sir, the woman has another message for you and she would like to deliver it herself."
Before Niles could react, the man and woman came closer, their fingers entwined and when the shadows fell away, his heart stopped.
No… It couldn't be… but it was…. His worst nightmare come true.
"Maris!"