The bus was insanely crowded and Daphne silently chided herself for not taking Frasier up on his offer to drive her. There was barely enough room to move around much less sit down. Whatever happened to gentlemen giving up their seat for a lady?
In Manchester she never had a problem finding a seat on a city bus. In fact, it seemed that almost every day a kind man was offering her his seat-especially on busy mornings. But Manchester was a lot smaller and less metropolitan than Seattle was, and although she loved the Emerald City, she couldn't help but feel a bit homesick.
The bus came to a screeching halt, throwing her foreword and she grabbed onto the bar for dear life.
Bloody hell, what was she thinking waiting until Black Friday to start her Christmas shopping? And why was it called Black Friday anyway?
Seems that Americans could come up with a more festive name for what was known as the first official shopping day of the Christmas season. She'd never understand American traditions, and now she was beginning to think that it was better that way.
When the bus reached her stop she sighed with relief, grateful to get out of the prison- like contraption. As expected the driver slammed on the breaks, throwing her foreword once more. The doors opened, and like a salmon swimming upstream, she pushed her way through the crowd, barely stepping out of the bus and onto the curb when it sped off.
Had it been ten seconds later, she'd be front page news, having been run over by a city bus on what people called the busiest Friday of the year.
But luckily she didn't have to worry about that. She was safe now and silently she prayed that the trip home would be much more pleasant. If nothing else that she'd be able to get a seat on the bus. She shook her head in disbelief, remembering how her pleading looks to get someone to offer her their seat went completely unnoticed. How was it possible that a season as joyous as Christmas brought out the worst in some people?
Well, there was no sense in analyzing it. That was Frasier and Niles' job. Perhaps she'd remember that the next time there was a lull in conversation during a meal.
She always hated eating in silence and much preferred Frasier's analytical banter to his and Martin's endless complaining about her cooking. The thought burned her, remembering how often he'd made an innocent comment about how terrible her cooking was and there was no denying that it hurt. She wasn't an executive chef like the people in his fancy restaurants and she certainly wasn't hired to be one. Cooking was only a small part of her job.
But then her thoughts drifted back to that morning and how concerned Frasier and Martin were about her going downtown alone. Their kindness overwhelmed her and made her feel loved in a way that she simply couldn't explain.
The memory warmed her heart and she found herself blinking back tears. And as she headed down Fifth Avenue, she increased her pace, eager to find the perfect gifts. The Crane men may drive her crazy, but she loved them all the same and she wouldn't trade her job for anything in the world.
The streets were bustling with shoppers and more than once, she was bumped into by people who were in such a hurry that they had forgotten their manners. She had a sudden urge to grab them by the collar and tell them off, but then quickly reminded herself that she was in Seattle, not Manchester.
Determined to get into the holiday spirit, she concentrated on the scenery around her. Everywhere she looked, there were signs of Christmas. From the tiny twinkling lights on the trees to the enormous Christmas tree that stood majestically in the center of Olive Street., bordering the Bon Marche' the famous department store that was Seattle's answer to New York City's Macy's.
Her eyes traveled up and down the tree, taking in every colored light and shiny decoration. A mere step away, on the other side of the enormous store was the most incredible sight of all; the Bon Marche' Christmas star. It was so massive that it took up an entire section of the store and there was no denying that it was completely mesmerizing.
But she couldn't stand here and stare at it all day. She had shopping to do.